What Ought To Be
by lickitysplit
Summary: When Elizabeth receives an urgent letter from home, she returns to the castle to find not all is as it seems. Now posted: Back to the Beginning, in which our heroes must face their choices, along with making some new ones. Now Complete!
1. An Unwelcome Message

**Summary:** When Elizabeth receives an urgent note from home, she returns to the castle to find not all is as it seems.

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! I'm very excited to be posting this finally. This is going to be a much longer piece than I normally write, and I'm hope that you all enjoy going on this journey with me! This story is set post-anime and pre-Ten Commandments. Ban and King are also still with the group.

Special thanks to woundedowl and DOMinMatrix for allowing me to complain at them as I figured out a title. You both make me laugh. A lot. So thank you.

.o0o.

 **Chapter One: An Unwelcome Message**

The bell above the door of the Boar Hat jingled. "We're not open yet," Meliodas called from where he knelt, stocking glasses behind the bar.

He stood to see who had walked in the door. "Hey!" he said in surprise, easily vaulting over the bar. "What are you two doing here?"

He grinned wide as he walked over to the two Holy Knights who crowded the entrance. Meliodas reached out and gripped the hand of the closest one. "Greetings, Meliodas," Gilthunder said formally.

"Little Gil! It's great to see you. How have you been? How's Liones?"

Gilthunder nodded, giving a smile. "Well, thank you. On both counts."

Meliodas put his hands on his hips. "And Sir Howzer! I don't think the Boar Hat has ever had such esteemed guests!"

Howzer laughed and gave a short bow. "Hello, Captain. I'm glad that you are happy we are here."

"Come, sit!" Meliodas said, leading them to the stools that were neatly pushed against the bar. He moved around behind it and pulled out two large steins. "This is a surprise! What brings two of Liones' greatest Holy Knights to this shack, out in the middle of nowhere?"

"I'd hardly call this a shack," Howzer chuckled, happily accepting a glass as Meliodas poured out the frothing ale. "The reputation of this place made it easy to find, even this far from the capital."

"Hmm," Meliodas murmured as he placed the other glass in front of Gilthunder. He snatched up another glass and poured one for himself. "I suppose we do have a bit of a reputation."

Howzer laughed and drank. "We are here to see the princess," Gilthunder said mildly, not touching his own cup.

Meliodas took a long swallow and wiped his chin. "Elizabeth? Is everything all right?"

Gilthunder nodded. "We have a message from her sister to deliver."

"Huh." Meliodas drank again. "And she sent the two of you all the way here to deliver it?"

"It's difficult to tell who to trust in these uncertain times," Gilthunder explained. "Princess Margaret desired assurance that it would be delivered."

"Well, don't let me hold you up." The captain trotted over to a door leading to the back. He pushed it open with one hand and called, "Elizabeth! Can you come out here, please?"

The girl emerged moments later, carrying a stack of folded towels. "I'm right here, what do you—" She pulled up short as she saw the two knights seated at the bar. "Gilthunder! Sir Howzer! What—what are you doing here?"

"Princess," Gilthunder said, standing and giving a bow. Howzer followed suit, clearing his throat uncomfortably at the revealing uniform the princess wore.

"Is everything all right? My father—is my father well?" She pushed the towels at Meliodas, who took them in his arms with an "oof" as she hurried over to Gilthunder. "Please, tell me."

Meliodas stacked the towels on a table. He turned back to them, frowning in annoyance when he spied Elizabeth's hand clutching Gilthunder's arm. "They have a message for you," he said.

Gilthunder gently pulled his arm from Elizabeth's grasp and removed an envelope from a small pack strapped to his side. She took the envelope with a slightly shaking hand, tracing her fingers over the seal that held the paper closed. "This is from Margaret?" she squeaked, looking back at the knight.

He nodded and Elizabeth turned away, carefully opening the seal as she took a seat at a table on the other side of the room. Both Gilthunder and Meliodas watched her carefully, but Howzer sat back down and took another long drink. "Where are the others?" he asked.

"Somewhere around here," Meliodas answered, coming back around to refill Howzer's glass. "Ban is prepping food, and Merlin went out to get something. I don't know where Gowther and King are, but Diane is probably upstairs getting dressed."

"Diane? Upstairs?" Howzer raised his eyebrows. "How large is your upstairs?"

"No, no," Meliodas laughed, stealing another glance over at the princess. "Merlin gave her minimizing tablets, so she's been human-sized lately."

"I'll be glad to see them again," Howzer replied, and as if on cue, Ban entered from the kitchen with Hawk on his heels, calling, "Yo, Captain, are we open or what?" as Diane came down the stairs into the main room. They all stopped short at the sight of the two Holy Knights, and then there was a new round of greetings and hand (and hoof) shaking and happy conversation.

Through the commotion, Meliodas kept an eye on the princess. Elizabeth finished reading and folded the letter in her hands. She turned her head and looked out the window, her teeth catching her bottom lip. The Dragon Sin slipped away from the group and sat down next to her. "Everything all right?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said, and then sighed. "Of course, with Margaret, you can never be sure." She handed him the delicate paper, and Meliodas read:

 _Dear Elizabeth,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I had thought that after your last adventure you would be reluctant to start another. Then you left so suddenly, I must assume you have no plans to return any time soon._

 _Things have been difficult here. Since his recovery, father has not seemed himself. There are still many people displaced or hurt in the battle, and their care has now fallen to me. Until the new Grand Master is named, I have also taken on the responsibility for monitoring the threats to the kingdom. With Liones in its weakened state, this has proven to be a difficult task._

 _I must insist that you return to the palace and resume your responsibilities as a princess and servant of this kingdom. Please hurry home._

 _Your sister,_

 _Margaret_

Meliodas looked up. "I wonder what's wrong with the king?"

"It might be nothing," Elizabeth sighed. "Margaret has always been a worrier, and a perfectionist. She can find problems where there are none."

"Will you go, then?"

Elizabeth looked at Meliodas for a long moment. She wanted to give him the chance to ask her not to go; if he did, she would tear up the letter and stay, forever if he wished. He gazed back at her, trying his best to remain expressionless and not influence her decision. His stomach sank at the idea of Elizabeth leaving; but he knew it would be unwise to test the king's patience if the princess was needed in the capital.

Finally the princess let go the breath she was holding. "I suppose I must go," she said, barely a whisper.

Meliodas nodded. "Perhaps you'll get there and find things are not so bad after all," he said cheerily.

Elizabeth nodded, but then had an idea. "You could come with me! All of you can—"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "Sorry, Elizabeth, but I'm already on a mission. I can't stop looking for the seal now." Meliodas' voice turned low and serious. "You will finish your shift here first? I'm expecting a crowd tonight, and I can't be down a waitress without you giving some kind of notice!" Elizabeth stammered, caught by surprise at the change of topic, but before she could answer, Meliodas jumped up on the table and announced, "Tonight is our last night with our top waitress, so let's make sure we double our efforts during the service tonight!"

"Elizabeth, you're leaving?" Diane exclaimed.

"No, Elizabeth!" Hawk squealed.

The princess stood and nodded, blushing slightly. "I have to go back to the castle. Just for a little while, I hope."

Gilthunder stood as well. "If that is your decision, we should take our leave and head back to Liones Castle right away."

"No way," Meliodas said, jumping down. "Elizabeth has to work tonight. Diane isn't ready to do all the serving on her own."

"Hey!" Diane shouted indignantly, as Howzer interjected, "Gil, we've been traveling non-stop for days. Let's just stay here tonight and rest, and we'll set out in the morning." He took another drink from his stein.

After a moment, Gilthunder nodded his agreement. Soon customers began to arrive, and they were all busy as the Boar Hat filled with people and noise. Merlin turned up and sat with Gilthunder for a while, discussing the state of the neighboring kingdoms and the policy changes for Holy Knights now that the New Generation was finished.

Howzer sat at the bar, happily draining his cup and chatting with Meliodas, who served as bartender. After the orders were filled, Ban joined them and they swapped stories and jokes that grew wilder with each round. Diane often neglected her duties to join them, spending most of her time sitting next to Howzer and adding her own laughter to the merry party. Howzer was delighted with this situation, and used the opportunity to learn more about the giantess and try to impress her with his own accomplishments.

Elizabeth did not mind Diane's disregard for her tables; in fact, she was happy for the extra work to keep her mind off of her sister's letter. Where Veronica was pragmatic almost to a fault, Margaret was more inclined to dramatize. She was overly kind and compassionate; when Veronica would demand justice, Margaret would more often show forgiveness. However, Margaret was slow to trust, and reluctant to share her innermost thoughts with anyone. Elizabeth understood now that she had kept her heart close all these years because of the curse she was under, but wondered if things were really as difficult as she indicated in the letter.

King and Gowther returned at the height of the evening, and Elizabeth greeted them as they came in the door. "You'll never believe who is here!" she exclaimed, but then quickly went on, "Sir King? Is everything all right?" The Fairy King had turned a bright shade of red, and as Elizabeth followed his gaze, she spied Howzer and Diane laughing gaily. "What is he doing here?" King fumed, and weaved through the crowd towards the bar, leaving Elizabeth and Gowther watching him in bewilderment.

"What is wrong with King?" Gowther asked. "Does he not like Diane to be friends with other men?"

Eliabeth sucked in a breath. "I think it's just one man in particular."

King came up behind Howzer, who had leaned in closely to hear something Diane was saying. He gripped the Knight on the shoulder, and Howzer whirled around in surprise. When he saw who it was, Howzer laughed, "The Grizzly Sin! There you are!" and clapped him on the back, nearly sending him sprawling.

"King, where have you been?" asked Diane, reaching out to steady him.

"Scouting with Gowther," he answered with a frown. "I didn't realize the Holy Knights would be coming tonight. Are there more?"

"Just Gil over there, sitting with Merlin," said Meliodas as he filled their steins. "They came to bring Elizabeth a note from her sister. The princess is going back to the capital for a visit."

"Speaking of which," Howzer said, taking a drink, "I was just telling Diane that you should really all come. There is so much work being done, and it's going to be a new age for the Holy Knights and the kingdom now that the corruption from Hendrickson and Dreyfus is gone." He turned to the Serpent Sin. "You would especially enjoy it, I think, Diane. You ought to come back with us."

"I've never really been to court before," she said wistfully. "Do you really think I should?" She looked at Meliodas. "What do you think, Captain?"

Meliodas shrugged. "You can go if you want to. I was actually thinking it would be good for one of us to accompany Elizabeth and keep an eye on her."

"I should go too, then," said Hawk. "I'm the best equipped to handle any situation that Elizabeth would face."

"Sorry, Hawk," Meliodas said gravely. "I can't afford to lose my best waitress _and_ my scraps disposal all in one day."

Meanwhile, Diane jumped up and down excitedly, as King balked, "What?! You're not really going, are you, Diane?"

She didn't answer, but instead starting talking rapidly, "I'll need to pack extra minimizing tablets. And I'll need to borrow some clothes. Where did I put that thing?" Off she went, hurrying upstairs.

Howzer laughed as he watched her go, and then went to tell Gilthunder they'd have another traveling companion. King watched him with a dark look, and Ban leaned over and thumped him on the back. "Don't worry, King, I'm sure Howzer will take good care of her." King turned around, clenching his fists, and Ban dodged as Chastiefol went flying past his head.

"Take it outside!" Meliodas called over to them, and Ban climbed over the tables and out the door with King fast on his heels.

"What in the world!" Elizabeth exclaimed, hurrying behind the bar. She stood next to Meliodas and watched the Grizzly and Fox Sins go crashing outside, jumping when she felt his hands slide under her skirt. "Sir Meliodas, your hands are cold!"

"Must be from the washing up. Warm them up for me." He began to rub his hands up and down her rear, warming his hands, and went on, "Diane is going with you to the castle. Isn't that great?"

"Lady Diane?" She looked down at him in surprise, forgetting for a moment the hands on her backside. "She's coming with me?"

"That's what I just said." He tilted his head in mock seriousness. "Diane has never been in a court, so you will look after her, won't you?"

"Oh—of course!" she yelped, as Meliodas gave one of her cheeks a pinch.

"Excellent. Now go see if that table is finished."

.o0o.

The evening wore on, and eventually it was time for the Boar Hat to close. Howzer helped the others with the clean up, while Merlin provided Gilthunder with cots for them to use for the night. When Elizabeth was finally able to go to her room, she found Diane inside, looking through her clothes. "Elizabeth!" Diane cried. "I don't have anything to wear. What am I supposed to do? I'm going to stick out and everyone is going to look at me."

"Don't worry," Elizabeth said tiredly. "Once we get to the capital, we can get you whatever you need." Diane thanked her excitedly and left, and Elizabeth used the opportunity to pack her few belongings in a bag. She laid out the dress she was wearing when she left home, and when she heard Meliodas outside the bedroom door, she hurried into the washroom to change into her bedclothes.

When she emerged, Meliodas was already changed, tied up, and lying in the bed. She doused the light and climbed in next to him, when suddenly she was hit with a wave of sadness. Meliodas could sense her change of mood and asked, "Everything all right?"

She sat with her legs curled under her and pulled the covers over them both. "I was just thinking—this may be the last time we are together for a while."

"Mmmm," he murmured. There was a moment of silence, and then he went on, "Aren't you excited to be going home?"

"I'm happy to be seeing my family again," Elizabeth admitted. She didn't want to say it, but she had stopped thinking of the palace as her _home_ a while ago. They shared another, longer but not-quite-as-uncomfortable silence.

To Meliodas' surprise, Elizabeth leaned over and began untying the first knot in the cords strapped around him. "What are you doing?" he laughed.

"I just don't want to remember you tied up on our last night together," she answered. He grinned and squirmed in the bed, making her lose her fingering on the knots. Elizabeth laughed at his silliness and finished with the first, leaning across him to work on the next. Her chest was in the perfect position for him to lift his head and bury his face in her cleavage.

Elizabeth laughed again and moved out of reach. He was disappointed for a moment, but then chuckled as she straddled him, her knees pressed against his hips. "Now don't move," she ordered, and Meliodas complied as she made quick work of the rest of the knots.

As soon as he felt the ties give way, he flipped her over on the bed, grinning as she shrieked with laughter at the surprise. He smiled down at the disheveled princess as he shrugged off the cords and tossed them away. Then he grabbed her and flipped them both again, provoking more peals of laughter from her.

She giggled and pressed her hands on his chest, trying to right herself. Meliodas gripped the back of one of her thighs, pulling her leg to drape tight across his abdomen; with the other hand, he pressed firmly on her back to hold her in place. She inhaled deeply to catch her breath from laughing and looked down at the Dragon Sin. He was grinning broadly, and his hand moved from her back to her face to smooth her tousled hair.

Elizabeth's heart fluttered, and his hand stilled at the nape of her neck. She was certain he was going to finally kiss her, but after a moment he pulled her face down to his and he planted a kiss on her forehead. Then he pressed her head further down to rest on his shoulder.

He combed his fingers through her long hair as she relaxed against him. His other hand stroked her leg up and down, moving from behind her knee to the place where the back of her thigh met her behind. Her arms slipped lightly around him and her face nuzzled against his neck. Meliodas listened as her breathing steadied, and felt her body sink against his as she fell asleep.

He stayed awake all night, just listening to her peaceful breathing, feeling her chest rising and falling. When the first rays of light appeared in the sky, he wondered if he actually would let her go back to the capital.


	2. Farewells and Greetings

**Farewells and Greetings**

Mornings at the Boar Hat were usually quiet affairs, but the next morning was full of activity. Diane scurried around, packing and unpacking things to bring with her, with a moping King following behind on his giant pillow. Meliodas insisted on a breakfast for everyone, and he and Ban fought in the kitchen getting everything ready as Elizabeth set up the tables.

"This is going to take forever," Gilthunder grumbled. Howzer just laughed and went to sit with Gowther.

They had a rousing farewell meal, but Elizabeth found it difficult to eat a thing. Her stomach was in knots, partly worried about her father, but mostly uneasy about leaving the Sins. She missed the Boar Hat already, and not knowing how long she would be gone filled her with anxiety. She smiled at Ban's jokes and Howzer's laughter and Gowther's strange observations, but was happy to escape back to the silence of her own room.

She took her time going through her pack, checking the room to make sure she didn't leave anything. Then she made the bed, perhaps for the last time, and hung up Meliodas' things that he had left strewn around the room. She was just about to go back downstairs when the door clicked open and the captain poked his head inside. "There you are!" He stepped in and closed the door again, hands on his hips and a smile on his face. "Are you just about ready? I think Gil is going to leave without you in a minute."

"I'm ready," she said in a small voice. She took one more look around and picked up her bag, but Meliodas stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Before you go," he said, "I have something for you." She sat down on the bed as he pulled something out of his pocket. He held out his palm and Elizabeth saw a small object that looked like a coin in his hand. It was copper colored, with a tiny hole through the center, but no markings to indicate what it was.

"I had Merlin make this," he went on, holding the coin up with two fingers. "If you have any trouble, and need me right away, just press this between your two palms. I have one too." He took out its twin and held them up together. "If you do that, then mine will glow, I think." He grinned and held out the coin. "It will do something, at any rate. Then I know you need help, and I'll come."

Elizabeth took the coin and gently turned it over in her hand. It was very thin and lightweight, much lighter than she had expected. She reached behind her neck and unclasped the small chain she wore; it was a gift from the king, and held a charm with the royal crest. She threaded the chain through the hole in the coin and placed the necklace back around her neck.

"Thank you," she whispered. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Meliodas held out his hand. "Come on, then."

When they returned to the main room, Merlin approached. "Captain," she said with her usual smile. "I think I'm going to go too. I'd like to check in on the king and make sure he is well."

Meliodas frowned. "I don't know, Merlin. I kind of need you here."

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm just going to see the king, and then come right back. I'll be back this evening if I use Teleportation."

"All right then," the captain agreed. All went outside, and Elizabeth said good-bye to Gowther and Ban. She tried to bid King a farewell too, but he was floating away from the group, hiding behind his pillow. Hawk tried to be brave, but cried when she knelt and gave him a big hug. Finally, she turned to Meliodas. He looked up at her with a smile. "Take care of yourself, princess."

Elizabeth nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. The Dragon Sin gave her hand a quick kiss; then he stepped back. His eyes never left hers as the world began to fade, and a moment later, they all stood inside the gates of Liones Castle.

The Holy Knights were able to easily stand such powerful magic, but Elizabeth's legs went weak and she stumbled. Gilthunder easily caught her by the arm and straightened her.

"Are you all right, Elizabeth?" Diane asked, reaching out a hand to help steady her.

Elizabeth nodded, and Gilthunder led the way into the castle. "Princess Margaret will be in the throne room," he said as they followed.

"Shouldn't we see the king first?" Merlin asked, but he did not answer.

The hallways were instantly familiar to Elizabeth, but she followed just the same. When the doors to the throne room came in sight, she drew in a deep breath. They entered and found the king's throne empty, but sure enough, Margaret sat in a chair to its right, looking over a large scroll. Two advisors stood nearby, leaning in to speak to her quietly.

"Your Highness," Gilthunder announced, and Margaret looked up. She was just as lovely as ever, and Elizabeth could not help but break into a smile. She stepped forward and called, "Margaret!"

The princess pushed the scroll at the others and hurried down the steps of the dais. She caught Elizabeth up in a hug. "Ellie! It's you!" She pulled back and squeezed her sister's hands. "You received my letter?"

"Yes, of course," Elizabeth answered. "Please, Margaret, is everything all right?"

The princess didn't answer, but instead turned to the others. "Gilthunder, Howzer, thank you so much for finding my sister. I'm in your debt."

"We live to serve," Gilthunder replied with a short bow. Margaret gave him a nod, and he turned and left, taking Howzer with him.

"Lady Diane, Lady Merlin," Margaret continued, turning to the two Sins. "Your presence is always welcome."

Merlin gave her own small bow. "I came to check on your father. I wanted to see if the king is well."

"As well as he can be, I am sure," Margaret answered. "You really didn't need to go through all this trouble."

"Nonsense, he is my patient after all." Merlin looked around. "Where is His Majesty?"

Margaret pursed her lips and turned to one of the guards standing on the side of the room. "Can you please see if you can locate the king?" she asked, and the guard quickly bowed and left.

"Locate him?" Elizabeth asked in alarm. "Don't you know where he is?"

"The king keeps his own schedule these days," she said tightly. "Ellie, I have something to finish here, so will you take Lady Merlin and Lady Diane with you? Have rooms made ready for them in your wing. I'm sure you remember the way."

"What about Father?" she asked.

Margaret smiled. "I'll have someone fetch you and we can all have tea. Lady Merlin can do her… examination then." She flashed them all a brilliant smile that could only mean they were dismissed. Elizabeth frowned and turned, leading the others out the door. They passed Gilthunder, who was waiting patiently in the hallway. He nodded at them.

"Very strange," Merlin remarked as they walked up a staircase.

"I guess it's a good thing we did come here," Diane said.

Elizabeth didn't answer as she led them around another corner. By the time they reached her suite, Merlin had disappeared. "She does that," Diane assured her as they entered. The Serpent Sin giggled in delight at the luxurious room, and hurried over to the window. "What a view!" she said.

"Don't you always have a good view, being a giantess?" Elizabeth asked.

"Not from a window!" Diane began exploring the rest of the suite, commenting on everything, but Elizabeth didn't listen. She crossed to the door that led to her bedchamber. Her room was exactly as she remembered it, but it didn't bring any comfort. She sat on her bed and sighed, wondering if she had made the right choice.

.o0o.

An hour later, Elizabeth and Diane walked into a small dining room in the eastern wing, which the king and his daughters often used for informal meals. As soon as she entered, Elizabeth gave a shout and ran forward. The king laughed and stood, opening his arms.

"Father!" she exclaimed, and hugged him tightly.

"My little Ellie, home at last," he said, and stood her back so he could examine her closely. "Out and about in the world suits you well, I see. How are you?"

"Glad to see you," she grinned. She looked over his shoulder and her eyes widened to see Merlin there. "Lady Merlin! You found him?"

Merlin laughed. "Kings are notoriously bad at hiding. Wouldn't you agree, Your Majesty?" The king chuckled and they all sat at the table. Margaret sat at the king's right, and Merlin took the left. Diane and Elizabeth took seats opposite the king. "Where is Veronica?" Elizabeth asked as plates of food were laid on the table.

"She's been going to the villages, assessing the health of the people," Margaret answered, carefully placing a napkin on her lap. "Many of the men who were forced into training were not fighters, and are suffering from—"

"Margaret," interrupted the king, "must we discuss this as we eat? It's Ellie's first day home, we should be celebrating!" He called for wine in his booming voice, and Margaret bristled, looking pointedly at Elizabeth.

"Father," Elizabeth said, "how has your recovery been?"

"Recovery!" he laughed. "No need for all that! I'm healthier than I've ever been, right Merlin?"

Merlin smiled and sipped her cup. "Of course, Your Majesty." She turned towards Margaret. "I've examined your father closely. He seems to be in excellent health. There's no sign of the mysterious illness returning."

"See that? Now you can stop fussing, Margaret." He drained his cup and stood. "I must get back to my hunt. Margaret, be a good girl and arrange a banquet for tonight. I want everyone to come to celebrate my daughter's return." He walked around the table and kissed Elizabeth on the forehead.

"A banquet, father?" Margaret said in a clipped voice. "Do you suppose that wise, with all the repairs that still need to be done in the city?"

The king was already on his way out the door. "Even more of a reason!" he called over his shoulder, and then was gone.

Margaret whirled on Elizabeth. "Do you see what I mean?" she hissed. "Have you ever— _ever_ —seen him so—so—" She threw her napkin angrily on the table.

"I didn't think he was that bad," Diane said, helping herself to a sandwich. "I always remember him being a good king."

"He does nothing all day but… _play_ ," Margaret continued, ignoring Diane. "He just wants to drink, and fight, and ride." She looked up at Elizabeth with pleading eyes. "This is why I need you here, instead of out roaming around in a tavern!"

Elizabeth drew in a breath, stung by her sister's words. But instead of giving back a retort, she turned to look at the Boar Sin. "Lady Merlin, do you have any idea why the king is acting so strangely?"

"What do you ask _her_ for?" Margaret fumed. "This all started when she whisked him off to Camelot to cure him. He hasn't been the same since." She folded her arms and looked at Merlin coldly. "What exactly did you do to him there?"

"Princess Margaret," Merlin responded slowly, "your father is experiencing a renewal in his life. He is rid of the sickness that plagued him, and has survived a coup d'etat. It's only natural that he would want to blow off a bit of steam."

There was a long silence, and then Margaret stood. "Please enjoy the rest of your tea. I have things I need to attend." She practically ran out of the room, and Elizabeth could tell she was terribly upset. "Margaret!" she called after her, jumping to her feet. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back—" and off she went after her sister.

The two Sins watched them go, and then Merlin went back to sipping her tea. "There is something wrong, isn't there?" Diane asked.

"Not physically," she admitted. "Baltra is right as rain. He probably is feeling better than he ever has, at least in a long time."

Diane chewed thoughtfully. "It is odd, though. He should be more focused on the kingdom. There is a lot to clean up after all that mess with Hendrickson. Margaret said they hadn't even named a new Grand Master."

Merlin sighed. "I have to return to the others soon. You must keep a close eye on the princess. Something is at work here."

Diane nodded. "I know what I must do. Elizabeth will be safe. Tell the captain that."

.o0o.

"Margaret! Margaret, wait!"

The princess sighed and slowed down so her younger sister could catch up. "What is it now, Ellie?" she asked, irritated.

"How could you be so rude?" she asked. "Lady Merlin saved our father's life! She's a member of the Seven Deadly Sins, an order that father respects, and you did until most recently."

"You don't understand," she muttered. "Everything has changed now. You don't even know half of what I've had to deal with here."

"Margaret," Elizabeth said kindly. She took hold of her sister's hands. "I—I'm so sorry that you've had all this to deal with by yourself. But I'm here now, and I'll do whatever it is you need. I promise."

Margaret sighed and squeezed her hands. "Thank you. I'm glad you're here." The princess frowned. "I was rude, wasn't I? I need to apologize."

"I don't think Lady Merlin's feelings were hurt," Elizabeth said.

She nodded. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a banquet to prepare." She gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and left. Elizabeth anxiously watched her go, hoping she would find a way to be some kind of help.


	3. A New Plan

**A New Plan**

Meliodas pored over a map of Britannia. He used a pencil to mark the path the Boar Hat had traveled since leaving the capital city weeks before. They had been heading in a southeasterly direction, but there had been absolutely no sign of the creature that had flown from the capital the day of Hendrickson's defeat. No one they had met had seen or heard it, either. Meliodas tapped the pencil on his chin, thinking.

Suddenly the pencil was gone from his hand. Meliodas looked up and saw Ban tossing it up and catching it with one hand. The captain raised his eyebrows, and Ban tossed it back to him. Meliodas easily caught it and went back to making a note on the map, when the pencil was snatched again.

Meliodas sighed in aggravation. "Is there something you want?"

"This is boo-ooring," Ban complained. "Are we just going to sit around here until the princess decides to come back?"

"We're nearing the border of Liones," Meliodas said. "Before we go marching into another kingdom, I'd like to know we're going the right way first."

"What difference does it make?" he laughed, throwing the pencil back at Meliodas. "Baltra knows what we're doing."

Meliodas caught the pencil mid-air. "That doesn't mean we'll be welcome everywhere else, and I'm not trying to start any trouble for the king."

"Since when do you care about making trouble for the king?" Ban smiled and crossed his arms. "Oh, wait, let me guess. Probably about the time his youngest daughter—"

"I'd be careful with the way you ended that sentence," Meliodas said pleasantly, making another note on the map.

As Ban laughed long and hard, King floated in, hugging Chastiefol. "What are _you_ so happy about?" he muttered.

"Aw, come on, King," Ban grinned. "Are you really this bent out of shape that you didn't get to go too?"

" _No_ ," King scoffed. "I'm the King of Fairies. What do I care about a stupid human castle?"

"But I bet Baltra throws some great parties. Is that why you're upset?"

"I'm _not_ upset!"

"I got it. Gilthunder and Howzer came looking for the princess, and you were hoping they were looking for you—"

" _Shut up!_ " King shouted, sending Chastiefol flying.

Ban ducked and it pierced only his shoulder instead of his chest. He pulled it out and teased, "You know, for someone who's not upset—"

"I _mean_ it, Ban!"

"—you are awfully testyyyy." He aimed the spear back at King and threw, but Chastiefol changed back into the pillow as it sailed through the air. "This is lame," he complained. He stood over Meliodas, looking at the map. "Now that we don't have a princess to worry about, we should be doing something fun."

"We have just as much to worry about, if not more," Meliodas answered. "I'd like to remind you that the Coffin of Eternal Darkness is missing."

Ban huffed. "We already defeated one demon. So what if more show up?"

"You wouldn't say that if you had more experience with them," King observed.

Ban's neck stiffened, and he turned towards King. "What would you even know about it? I don't think you were around the last time one showed up. Where was that again? Oh, yes, the _Fairy King's Forest_."

King clenched his fists, shaking with rage, but before he could react, Gowther entered the room. "I detected elevated levels of stress," he said, looking between his companions. "Is there going to be a fight?"

"Gowther!" Ban exclaimed. "Do that thing where you look in King's brain and see if he's mad he didn't get to go to the capital, will ya?"

Gowther pushed his glasses up and pointed two fingers at King, who shrieked, "Gowther, don't!" Chastiefol burst into the Guardian and lumbered towards Gowther, knocking over tables and stools as it crashed through the room.

"King, stop!" Meliodas shouted. The furniture went flying, and Gowther was swept up by the Guardian. The Sacred Treasure caught his arms and legs in a tight hold, but the Goat Sin tilted his head as if listening and said, "Yes, Ban, I believe King is upset."

" _Gowther!_ " King growled. The Guardian popped out an extra arm and shoved the point into Gowther's mouth.

Ban's staff flashed, and Gowther was pulled from the Guardian's grip. Ban reached out and easily caught him by the arm. "There we are. Please, Gowther, continue."

"Would you two—" Meliodas began, but was interrupted as dozens of spear points shot through the room. Ban and Gowther were both run through with King's treasure. Ban shouted in anger, the points bursting from his body. He ran at King and punched him in the face, slamming him into the floor.

Gowther stood and pulled out each point one by one. "I thought that sharing your feelings with your friends helped make things better," he said to Meliodas.

"King didn't share," Meliodas explained, picking up the stool he had been sitting on. "You looked in his mind. I told you before that's not a good idea."

"I see." Gowther turned back to the two fighting Sins. Ban had King in a headlock. King pushed off the floor and they both darted into the air, slamming against the ceiling. "Should I take it away then?"

"Don't bother," Meliodas said. "Ban was looking for something to do anyway."

.o0o.

When Merlin arrived hours later, the Boar Hat had turned quiet again. King was napping on his pillow, Ban was sleeping on the outside hammock, and Gowther was reading Meliodas' map. She surveyed the damage to the tavern and chuckled, "Is this what happens when the men are left alone?"

"Something like that," Meliodas replied, popping a leg back into an overturned table. "How was the king?"

"Physically, he is fine," she said, leaning against the bar and watching the captain continue straightening up. "In fact, he has the vitals of a much younger man."

"That's a good thing, right?"

Merlin nodded. "One would think. However, his… _attitude_ is also that of a younger man. He is not the same King Baltra that has ruled these many years."

"Hmmm," Meliodas murmured. "Any idea what caused the change?"

"I scanned him for any enchantments and found none. Whatever it is, it's not a spell."

Meliodas nodded and walked over to the table holding the map. "Come look at this." He and Merlin stood around Gowther, and Melidoas pointed to a note. "Heading east, we are three towns from the border, then it's the Great Sea. If we go north, we run into the Kingdom of Marakia. If we go south, it's Edinburgh. Neither of those sound like good options."

"Edinburgh is still deserted," Merlin commented. "It may be a good place to hide."

Meliodas shook his head. "It's deserted, but all the power is depleted. Anyone trying to use the Coffin is going to need more power than that place has left."

"It seems as if our search has concluded," Gowther said.

Meliodas patted him on the back. "I completely agree! Looking for this thing aimlessly hasn't done us a bit of good. I propose we go back to our original quest."

Merlin looked at the captain with lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't tell me."

"Yup! We need to finish finding the Seven Deadly Sins. We need to find the Sin of Pride, Escanor!"

"Are you serious, Captain?" Ban hung inside the window, yawning. "He's got more problems than Gowther and King put together. How exactly is he going to help?"

"No idea," said Meliodas, folding up the map. "But it's something to do, anyway. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Ban shrugged. "I was thinking more along the lines of finding some new places to drink, but I guess this will do."

"How will we find him?" Gowther asked.

"No idea!" Meliodas laughed.

.o0o.

Everyone worked on preparing the Boar Hat to move the next day. There were supplies to find, water to restock, and firewood to replenish. Once night set in, everyone started to go to their own rooms. Meliodas had made it clear they were moving at first light.

Meliodas and Merlin were the last two in the main room, and before she could retire he asked her to talk for a moment. "How did Princess Margaret seem?"

Merlin tilted her head in thought. "Preoccupied with the king's antics, certainly. She has quite a bit to learn if she is to be queen."

"Well, you've already made one kid into a king. Perhaps you should lend your skills to make a queen next."

"Perhaps." Merlin smiled, and then hesitated.

"What is it?" Meliodas asked.

"There is still no Grand Master," Merlin said. "The king has yet to name one, so there has been no vote."

"Howzer mentioned that yesterday," Meliodas mused. "I wonder what's taking so long?"

"The Holy Knights will get restless without a leader," Merlin said. "They need someone to keep the factions from turning on each other."

Meliodas gave a humorless laugh. "Are you nominating me?"

"No," Merlin chuckled. "You're already promised to Arthur anyway." There was another pause. "I think Gilthunder has his sights on the appointment."

"Over Denzel, the king's own brother?" Meliodas considered a moment. "It makes sense, him being Zaratras' son. I guess either would do."

"It's good the Knights have the repairs and security of the kingdom to focus on for now," Merlin continued. "But eventually, Liones will return to peace, and if the Grand Master has not been established, there could be trouble."

Meliodas sighed. "This is why I don't get involved in these things. Are you confident the capital is secured, at least for now?"

Merlin nodded. "Diane has things well in hand. The princess will be safe."

"Of that I have no doubt," he answered. "I wouldn't have let Elizabeth go otherwise."

Merlin laughed as she started up the stairs. "You? Defy a royal summons?" Meliodas didn't answer, not that he needed to; Merlin was well aware of what his answer would be.

Meliodas finished his last few items, and then headed up to his room. It was eerily quiet without Elizabeth there, and emptiness felt heavy without her things around or her voice greeting him. He changed clothes and started for the bed, but then paused. Elizabeth always turned down the covers, but the bed was still as perfectly made up as it was that morning. He was loath to disturb the last little sign that she had been there, so instead he sat on the window seat, stretching his legs out and propping his back up against the wall.

He removed the twin coin from his pocket and flipped it through his fingers. It stayed stubbornly quiet, and of that he was only mostly glad. He laid it on the ledge of the windowpane and stared at it long into the night.


	4. The Princess Caught

**A/N:** Thanks to woundedowl for being my idea bouncer person again.

Those of you who have read the series will recognize that some of the ideas in this chapter are based on information revealed in the manga. I really don't think that anything would be considered a spoiler, but I thought I should give you a fair warning.

Thank you to everyone for reading!

.o0o.

 **The Princess Caught**

Elizabeth was miserable. Liones was in a worse state than she had feared. The castle and city had extensive damages from the battle; everything from food to lumber to medical supplies was running out. Calls had gone out to every corner of the kingdom and Liones' allies for aid, but the response was slow going. Hendrickson and Dreyfus had alienated many of the other kingdoms with their hubris. Elizabeth feared what would happen if the people went hungry.

Making everything worse, Elizabeth was homesick for the Boar Hat. She missed the Sins' camaraderie, the easy way they were with each other, even when fighting. She missed Hawk's sweetness. Most of all, she missed Meliodas.

She would sit in long meetings with advisors and think about the way he would smile when he called out her name, or his laugh when the others would argue. She caught herself imagining the way he would whisper in her ear when he would sneak his hand to grope her. Nights were especially difficult. As exhausted as she was from handling problem after problem all day, she found sleeping alone almost impossible. Elizabeth would lay awake for a long time wishing she could feel his warm presence next to hers, hear him make silly jokes in bed, or even listen to his soft snoring.

Diane tried her best to help the princess. She sat with her for the long hours of meeting after meeting, and kept Elizabeth company in the evenings when they were both too tired to even talk. But she was a warrior, and she became restless just listening to the seemingly endless string of complaints Elizabeth sifted through each day.

One morning during breakfast, Elizabeth was reviewing her schedule when she looked up and saw Diane with a gloomy expression on her face. The princess sighed and said, "I'm so sorry, Lady Diane."

The Serpent Sin lifted her head in surprise. "Sorry for what?"

"All of this," Elizabeth replied. "You shouldn't have to deal with all of these problems. You've spent every day sitting with me, and I…" She sighed and tossed the paper onto the table. "I'm no closer to resolving things here so we can go back."

"Elizabeth, I'm here to help you!" Diane exclaimed. "You're my friend."

The princess shook her head, her face hardening in a newfound resolve. "Enough is enough," she said, standing. "Liones needs her king. I'm going to find my father and talk some sense into him."

"Should I come with you?"

"No," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "I think this will be easier if I do this on my own." She took a deep breath and quickly exited.

Diane looked around, unsure of what to do next. The only other person she really knew in the capital was Howzer, so she decided to go find him. He had told her he was assigned to the Southern Tower, which was the new headquarters for the Holy Knights now that the Magical Research Center had been destroyed.

Howzer turned out to be easy to find. He was leading a group of apprentices through a series of drills in the courtyard that doubled as a practice arena. She called a greeting, and Howzer waved her over with a huge smile. "Diane! You came!" He called a halt to the exercise. "You are in the presence of a great Holy Knight," he announced. "May I present one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Serpent Sin Diane!"

A murmur went through the group of two dozen men and women. "I thought the Serpent Sin is a giant!" one of them called out.

"I am!" Diane shouted indignantly. "Just… not right now."

A few laughed. "Is this a joke, Sir Howzer?" another called.

"I would never joke about the Serpent Sin, or any of the Seven Deadly Sins," he responded gravely. "Diane, would you care to show us a demonstration of your power level?"

Diane grinned. "I'd be happy to, but only if you're my opponent."

Howzer laughed. "A rematch it is."

.o0o.

Elizabeth hunted through the castle for her father. She finally found him in the armory, trying out different swords. He called a happy greeting to her and the princess stalked forward.

"Father," she said evenly, "we need your assistance today. There are still a great many things to—"

"Elizabeth," he said mildly, "I'm sure you and Margaret have things well in hand."

"That's—that's not the point!" she exclaimed. "You are the king. The people need you. _We_ need you."

The king lowered the sword he was currently examining and looked at her sternly. "I would watch that tone, young lady. I am not in the mood for any theatrics."

"What—no, I didn't mean—" Elizabeth sucked in a breath. "I just meant—"

"Margaret will be queen one day. This is good experience for her."

Elizabeth wrung her hands. "She still needs your guidance. We all do. The people want to see their king. They need to know you care for them."

The king laughed and went back to examining the balance of the sword. "What nonsense you come up with, Elizabeth. Now run along, I'm in the middle of something."

Elizabeth's mouth opened in shock. She started to turn to go, but then gritted her teeth and turned back around to face the king. " _No_. I will _not_ go. You are going to listen to me, and come to your senses this—this instant!"

The king turned his attention back to her, but to her alarm, he did not lower his sword. "What did you just say to me?"

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting to the weapon in his hand. "This isn't you at all. My father is a good king who cares about his people and his kingdom."

"Liones is the greatest kingdom in Britannia," he answered coldly. "That is _my_ doing. _That_ is what I care about."

Furious tears rose to her eyes, and she flushed red with anger. "How can you say such a thing?" she seethed.

Before he could answer, a guard ran into the room. Giving the king a short bow, he said, "Your Majesty! There is a force approaching from the north. It will be at the gate within the hour."

"So get the Grand Master," he answered.

Elizabeth gasped as the solider stammered, "But Sire—there—there is no Grand Master!"

The king growled in aggravation. "Can't Margaret do anything?" He strapped on the sword and stormed out of the room. After an unsure moment, Elizabeth hurried after him.

.o0o.

"Cyclone!" Howzer shouted. The winds began to swirl, and the apprentices had to shield their eyes as a tornado swept past them and towards the Serpent Sin. Diane smiled and raised one hand to the sky. "Heavy Metal!" she yelled, and as the winds enveloped her, she stayed planted on the ground.

Howzer made a swipe through the air with his hand, and the tornado vanished. "You remembered that one, huh?" he laughed.

"How could I forget?" she joked back. "It felt more powerful than last time, though."

Howzer turned to the group and explained the properties behind Diane's defensive strategy, and Diane took the moment to catch her breath. She and Howzer had been fighting for almost a half hour, and she knew she would need a break soon. She certainly hadn't been showing her full strength—it was just training, after all, and she didn't want to actually hurt him—but the steady barrage of attacks was starting to wear on her stamina.

"Now I'm going to show you a defensive move using agility," Howzer announced. The group murmured in approval as he turned back to face Diane. "If you would, Lady Diane."

She grinned and summoned her power to send another attack, but then paused. There was a sudden prick on the back of her neck, and as she tuned into it, she immediately sensed that there was a new power approaching the city. She turned her face northward, and Howzer called out, "Diane? What is it?"

A moment later, he felt it too. He jogged over to stand next to her. "It's not a full army," she said. "But there's definitely power behind it, and it's moving fast."

The apprentices were just beginning to pick up on the threat as it steadily approached. They called to Howzer for instructions, and he shouted, "Get to your positions on the wall. Be ready to aid in the city's defense." The group dispersed, and Howzer said to her, "Will you come?"

Diane's eyes suddenly went wide. "Elizabeth," she gasped. "I have to get back to Elizabeth. I promised I'd make sure she's safe. I need to go." With only a brief glance at Howzer, she ran in the direction of the palace.

Holy Knights were scurrying around, shouting directions to one another as they made their way to their positions. Everyone was now alerted to the approaching threat, and the Knights worked to send the people into their homes for shelter. Diane gritted her teeth in frustration. She realized she had no idea where the princess was in the castle.

"This would be so much easier if I was a giantess!" she wailed to herself.

.o0o.

Elizabeth was on the king's heels as he strode into the throne room. Margaret and Gilthunder were already there, listening to an update from one of the guards. "Father, there is—" Margaret began, but the king cut her off with a withering look.

"I'm aware of the situation," he barked at her, and then turned to the guard. "Order the Holy Knights to be ready to attack."

"Attack!" Gilthunder cried. "Forgive me, Sire, but we don't even know if this group is a friend or enemy."

"Anyone who dares to approach Liones with an army is no friend," he growled. "If they want a show of strength, then that's what we will give them."

Gilthunder responded with a more gentle tone. "I must remind Your Majesty that between the loss of the New Generation and the casualties from the battle with Hendrickson, we have less than half the Holy Knights as our usual number."

They were interrupted by another page hurrying in the room. "Sire, it's Prince Lucius of Marakia. He has come ahead of his force, and is demanding to see you."

The king narrowed his lips. "Show him in. He can speak to Margaret."

The page hurried back out and Margaret turned to her father. "Father!" she protested. "Surely as king—"

"You will find out what he wants and send him on his way. If he gives you any trouble, Gilthunder can remind him of how the Holy Knights of Liones handle an enemy."

"Marakia has always been a friend to Liones. This would be a good time to mend the fences that Hendrickson and Dreyfus destroyed as Grand Masters."

"Spare me your talk of friendship," he snapped at her. "I am uninterested in mending fences with a kingdom who attacks the capital."

He strode back out, and a heavy silence hung over them. "Margaret, what should we do?" Elizabeth asked.

Margaret took a deep breath and pulled her shoulders back as the doors opened. "We'll do as the king commands."

The Marakian prince entered, flanked by a half dozen Holy Knights. He was younger than Gilthunder, and much more stout, but he was elegantly dressed and walked with a firm command of the room. Elizabeth quickly moved next to her sister, and they both curtseyed in respect.

"Could the rumors be true?" Lucius' voice boomed in the chamber. "A girl is in charge of Liones after all!"

"Your Highness," Margaret began, "may I—"

"Where is Baltra?" he demanded.

"His Majesty has asked me to greet you. How can I be of service, prince?"

Lucius smiled. "My father wanted to send his best wishes in Liones' time of… difficulty. It seems as though the city has had some troubles of late."

"Liones is as strong as it has ever been," the princess replied.

"And yet, your Grand Masters are both gone. Your city is in rubble. Liones has sent out calls for aid to every corner of Brittania. Is that not all true?"

Gilthunder looked at him darkly, but Margaret forced a smile. "It is true, our two Grand Masters are both no more. The king has resumed rule of Liones, and the Holy Knights are united behind him."

Lucius regarded her a minute before continuing in a clipped voice, "Your Holy Knights have done countless wrongs against Marakia. Your Grand Masters destroyed our long years of friendship in one stroke when they ordered an invasion of our borders. They stole our lands, our resources, and oppressed the people. I am here to collect on the debt Liones owes us."

"Liones will never—"

"Liones is hanging by a thread!" the prince shouted. "One word and my army will attack, and break that thread if need be."

"You must be careful when making a threat of strength against the Holy Knights of Liones," Gilthunder said coldly.

"We may perish, but you will as well," the prince replied.

There was a tense moment of silence. Elizabeth clutched her sister's hand. They all knew it to be true: although Marakia did not have much hope of defeating Liones' Holy Knights, the resulting battle would be devastating for both sides.

"What is it you want?" Gilthunder finally asked.

"Many things," he answered. "But I'll start with one of the princesses."


	5. Illusion and Elusion

**Illusion and Elusion**

The sound of Gilthunder's sword being drawn from its sheath rang through the air. It happened so fast that Elizabeth did not even know he had moved until he stood before the prince with the blade an inch from his throat. The Marakian knights moved just as quickly, all drawing their weapons at Gilthunder.

"No! Stop!" Elizabeth cried. She went to rush forward, but Margaret gripped her arm and held her back. "You have to stop this!" she pleaded to her sister, but Margaret did not answer.

Prince Lucius grinned wide as Gilthunder regarded him with a dark look. "Is this necessary?" he said mildly.

"I will not tolerate a threat against the princess," Gilthunder answered evenly.

"Any princess in particular?" the prince said with a laugh. Gilthunder narrowed his eyes. "Don't worry," Lucius continued, "if you have a claim on one of them, I can take the other."

Elizabeth huffed in frustration. She shook off Margaret's grip and moved to where the soldiers surrounded Gilthunder. "You are right," she said slowly, trying to keep her voice steady. She locked her gaze with the prince. "Marakia has suffered at the hands of Liones, and I am sorry for that. I promise, I will help make this right."

"Elizabeth!" Margaret cried, but she pressed on, "I don't want anyone else hurt. Please… lower your swords."

The prince regarded her a moment, and then gave a signal. His knights stepped back, and then Gilthunder lowered his own sword. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, and then jumped as the door banged open and Diane rushed in. "Elizabeth!" she called. "I'm so glad I found you!"

Suddenly distracted, everyone turned to watch the girl hurry over to the princess. "Are you all right?" Diane asked, and then she noticed the other knights with weapons drawn. "What's going on?" She pushed Elizabeth behind her.

"It's all right, Diane," Elizabeth said. The prince regarded her for a moment, and then his eyes went wide when he spotted the mark on her thigh. "Diane, you say?" he asked. "Am I to believe I'm in the presence of one of the legendary Seven Deadly Sins?"

"Who are _you_?" Diane demanded. "Are you the one marching on the city?"

The princess blushed and tried to stammer out an explanation, but the prince answered, "Prince Lucius of Marakia. I did not realize that the Seven Deadly Sins were still in Liones." He turned to Elizabeth and continued, "Well, princess? If my men do not receive word from me soon, they will begin their assault on the city."

"Liones will not negotiate with anyone who would attack innocents," Gilthunder growled.

"Call off your army," Elizabeth answered, "and I promise I will help you however I can."

Lucius regarded her a moment. "You will come with me back to my camp to talk."

"Elizabeth isn't going anywhere with you," Diane warned.

"Without one of them, how will I know you won't kill me once I order the retreat?" the prince retorted.

"I'll go with you," Elizabeth said.

"No!" Diane cried, as Margaret shouted, "Gilthunder, don't let her!"

Gilthunder began to raise his sword again. "You will not—"

"Stop!" Elizabeth stepped between Gilthunder and Lucius. "I said I would go, and I'm going."

" _Elizabeth,"_ Margaret hissed furiously. The princess slowly moved around Gilthunder and walked over to her sister. Margaret grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to the side. "What do you think you're _doing_?"

"What I can to protect the kingdom," Elizabeth answered.

"You are not leaving with him. I won't let you."

Elizabeth sighed. "Margaret, I made a promise."

"I don't _care_. There's no telling what he will do—"

"I'll be perfectly safe," Elizabeth scoffed. "Just trust me. I know I can fix this."

Margaret gripped her even tighter, but Elizabeth pulled away. "Take Diane with you," Margaret said bitterly.

"Of course I'm going with her," Diane said. She looked at the prince, daring him to argue, but he simply smiled. "Shall we?" he said.

Elizabeth hesitated. "You will let me return to the castle?"

The prince widened his grin. "Of course, Your Highness." He looked at Margaret. "Don't worry, I'll have her back before bedtime." He gestured to the door, and with a final nod to her sister, Elizabeth and Diane followed the Marakians out.

Margaret let go a choking sob once they were gone. Gilthunder turned and started towards her. "Princess Margaret, I—" he began, but she pushed past him and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

.o0o.

Hours later, Margaret sat at the window in her private room, lost in thought. Both her dinner and lists to review sat forgotten on the table. She stared outside, tucking her legs up under herself, waiting to see any sign that her youngest sister had returned. The sky was turning orange as the sun began to set.

A servant entered to clear the untouched tray, and like anyone who saw the princess, assumed she was calmly waiting, perhaps contemplating some piece of news from earlier in the day. She had the same small smile as always, and when Margaret glanced over for a moment, her eyes were serene.

No one would guess the tempest that lived inside Margaret. She was good at hiding her feelings; so good, in fact, her own father had never suspected the nightmare she had lived for a decade. Her childhood had ended that cursed day she saw Zaratras' murder, and from that moment forward she played her part: quiet, composed, and most of all, obedient. In truth, she was terrified of the Holy Knights and the power they possessed. She could see how easily they were corrupted, and hated how weak she was compared to them.

Worst of all, she hated her father for not knowing her secret, and she knew it was unfair of her to feel this way. As much as she despised him, she hated herself even more for not being able to tell him the truth. She saw the betrayal of the Holy Knights long before the king's suspicions were confirmed, and Margaret could say nothing.

The door clicked open, and Margaret knew without even turning her head that it was Gilthunder. She could feel his presence like a sixth sense. They had spent almost every evening of the past ten years together, taking solace in sitting together. Of course, they could never actually talk to one another, too afraid to say the wrong thing, and so would spend their hours in silence. Sometimes the secret would bear down on them like a great weight, and Gilthunder would hold her hand as she wept. A few times, she had to comfort him, and would hold him close as he shook with the rage he kept hidden.

In many ways he had had it worse. Even though it was Margaret's life at risk, at least Elizabeth and Veronica could help her forget for a little while. But the two new Grand Masters had taken special interest in the upbringing of the orphaned Gilthunder, as everyone had expected they would. After all, he was the son of the murdered Great Holy Knight. He had trained under Hendrickson's careful direction, and was given a post directly under his uncle, Dreyfus. Things worked out exactly as it should have for the honored son of a revered martyr to the kingdom.

He took his usual place next to her on the bench under her window. _Old habits die hard_ , she thought as she looked at his face. It bore the same cold, stoic expression it always did. People would comment that it was a shame such a happy boy seemed to lose all joy when his father died, but it was understandable, of course. No one should have to bear such a tragedy so young.

"The Marakians have pulled back," he told her. Margaret nodded, noticing he was no longer wearing his armor. "The prince's camp remains, but most of the soldiers have retreated."

"I suppose Ellie must have done it," Margaret responded. "She still has not returned?"

Gilthunder shook his head. "Are you angry with me for not stopping this?"

"No." Margaret glanced back out the window and sighed. "I should have been the one to go."

"No, Margaret."

"I'm the first princess, it's my job to—"

"If you think for a moment I would have let you, you are mistaken."

Her eyes snapped back to his. He was looking at her intensely, his jaw set, and he said slowly, "You are too important. It was too much of a risk."

She gave a harsh laugh. "Too important, hmm?" Gilthunder did not answer. "Has there been any word from the king?"

Gilthunder understood what she was really asking. "I have many eyes on him, princess. We will find out what he is really up to. Now that Merlin's confirmed it's not an enchantment, it's only a matter of time before we discover what is happening."

"And you trust her enough to tell us the truth?"

Gilthunder nodded. "The Sins are loyal to Liones."

"I can't trust anyone but you." The sun was completely down now, and her stomach turned in sudden panic. She drew in a deep breath. "She's still not back. Where could she be?" Gilthunder reached out and took her hands, and he could feel her shaking. "I wish I could just go, like Ellie did."

Gilthunder gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "Elizabeth will be back."

"That's not what I meant," Margaret said. "I mean, just go, just leave Liones."

"Is that what you want?" he asked, frowning. "You want to leave?"

Margaret shook her head, not hearing him. "We are never going to be free of this place."

"Margaret," he said firmly. He gripped the sides of her face. "If you want to leave, then we will leave."

The force behind his voice and his hands on her snapped her back from her panic. She opened her mouth to speak, but could not find the words, so she just shook her head.

He relaxed his grip on her, his hands sliding to the nape of her neck. But then, to her surprise, he pulled her up against him, and covered her mouth with his. Margaret gave a startled yelp. Gilthunder had only kissed her once before, a few days after their curse had been broken by Meliodas, and before the king's sudden change in personality. All of Liones had celebrated the return of the king to power, and they had found each other in the midst of the revelry. They had held each other then, not needing to speak; then he had kissed her softly, and Margaret thought she would melt away from happiness.

This time was different. His hands on her were firm, not the soft caress like the last time; his kiss strong, not gentle. One hand moved to her lower back, and he pulled her even closer, so she was halfway on his lap. Margaret braced herself on his shoulders, and he used the opportunity to deepen the kiss, slanting his mouth on hers.

Margaret was too astonished to do anything at first. But then her body began to respond, and tentatively she circled her arms around his shoulders, pressing herself against him. She heard him make a noise in the back of his throat, and she shivered. His hand pressed firmly on the small of her back, and the other hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers curling around her hair. Margaret gasped, trying to catch her breath, and he bit her lips before kissing her again.

She moaned and began to return the kiss. Gilthunder moved his arms tightly around her waist, holding her easily against him even as he began to press her backwards. She caressed the back of his neck with her fingers, sighing as his tongue pressed into her mouth.

Her mind was so lost in all of the new sensations that she did not recognize her sister's voice at first. It was only when Gilthunder pulled his mouth from hers abruptly that she registered someone had said her name. She turned and saw Elizabeth in the doorway, her eyes wide, mouth open in surprise. "Margaret—I—I'm so sorry—" she stammered.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Gilthunder said, his face red. He quickly righted them both on the bench and stood. He gave her a quick bow before striding from the room.

Margaret watched him go, her blood pulsing against her temples. Her lips throbbed, and she put a hand to her cheeks, feeling her skin on fire. She closed her eyes for a second to get her bearings.

"I'm so sorry, Margaret," Elizabeth sputtered. "I had no idea—I mean, I—I'll go!" She turned to flee, but Margaret called to her, "Where have you been?"

Elizabeth stopped short, slowly turning back to face her sister. Margaret had stood, smoothing her hair and dress with a slightly trembling hand. "I just wanted to tell you I was back, and that the meeting with the prince was a success—"

"Where have you been?" Margaret cried, clenching her fists. "I was worried sick about you!"

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said gently. "I was trying to make arrangements with Prince Lucius, and then he invited us to stay for a meal, and I thought it would be impolite to refuse—"

"Elizabeth," Margaret snapped, "you can't just keep going off on your own like this!"

"I wasn't on my own," Elizabeth frowned. "I had Diane with me. We didn't even leave the city." Margaret didn't respond, but went to the table, scooping up the documents she had left there. "Don't you even want to know what happened?"

"You got him to leave, that's all that's important," Margaret muttered. "It's all the king cared about, anyway."

"He didn't leave," Elizabeth said. "He's coming here tomorrow so we can finish an agreement for a treaty."

Margaret sighed. "And what did you promise him this time?"

"Just that we could help each other. Is there something wrong?"

"You can't make a treaty with them," Margaret scolded. "The king has to approve it, which he probably won't be bothered to, and if there is a protection order, it needs the Grand Master's approval, but of course, we have none. You should have listened to me and not gone with him."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth answered meekly. "I just couldn't see anyone hurt."

"Have you considered the fact that these sorts of agreements also come with a promise of marriage?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "He didn't say anything about that—"

Margaret sat, lost in her own thoughts. "I suppose it was just a matter of time before I'd have to marry some prince or another."

Elizabeth sat next to her sister. "But Margaret, what about Gilthunder?"

Margaret looked up sharply. "What about him?"

"Aren't you—I mean, don't you love him?" Elizabeth looked at the door and then back at her sister in confusion.

"Elizabeth," she answered sadly, "a princess cannot marry a Holy Knight." Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, which was not lost on Margaret. "What's wrong, Ellie? Do you have your own knight that you love?"

"I'm sure if you just spoke to father…" Elizabeth began, but Margaret shook her head. "It's not fair," Elizabeth said emphatically. "You love each other, anyone can see that. You ought to be together."

"My dear Ellie," Margaret smiled. "There are many things that are unfair in this world. You have what is, and you have what ought to be, and you'll find they often don't align at all."


	6. Out Of Mind

**Out Of Mind**

It had been two weeks since Elizabeth had returned to the castle, and the Seven Deadly Sins were no closer to finding their missing member than they were to finding the missing Coffin. Mama Hawk moved them every day from one place to the next, and the Boar Hat had opened in town after town to allow them to gather any information. So far, they had come up completely empty.

"Hey Captain," Ban said. He was sitting in one of the stools in the main room of the Boar Hat, balancing back on one of the legs. "Are we opening tonight or not?"

Meliodas looked over from where he had been absentmindedly rearranging glasses behind the bar. "What?"

"It's gonna be sunset in about an hour," Ban replied. "Are we opening?"

"Oh. I didn't realize it was that late." He frowned. "I guess it wouldn't hurt for us to take a night off."

"Perfect!" Ban jumped off the stool and leaned his long body over the counter of the bar, pulling out a bottle of alcohol. He popped off the cork and took a long drink. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked over at Meliodas. The Dragon Sin had gone back to rearranging the glasses again, and Ban shook his head and chuckled. Helping himself to the good stuff would have gotten him a punch a week ago.

"You all right there, Captain?" he asked, taking another long drink.

"Yup," he answered. "Just couldn't get to sleep last night."

Ban snorted. Meliodas looked like he hadn't slept in days, and he had a pretty good guess why not. "Figured as much. You look like crap."

"I know what you're doing," Meliodas replied without looking over. "And you are paying for that drink."

Ban laughed and replaced the now half-empty bottle. "Come on, since we have the night off, let's go have some fun."

Meliodas' mouth twitched. "What kind of fun?"

"We haven't fought anything in a month. Don't want to be getting soft." He turned and took the stairs two at a time, yelling, "Let's go King! Captain says we gotta train!" He banged through the door of the bedroom they shared, startling King into almost flipping off of his hammock. "Come ooooon," Ban sang, hovering over him.

"What do you want now?" King complained, straightening himself up on the hammock. Ban grabbed his giant pillow and tossed it out the window, and King cried, "Hey! Don't touch that!"

"Hey Gowther! Let's go!" Ban shouted, pounding his fist on the ceiling of the bedroom. Then he grabbed King by the collar of his jacket and jumped out the window, easily landing on the grass outside.

King pulled himself out of Ban's grasp. "What is wrong with you?" he groaned. Chastiefol floated over and he hopped on.

"Not me, Captain's orders. Ain't that right?"

Meliodas was walking out of the front door, followed by Gowther. "Sure, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a bit of practice."

"Are we playing a game?" Gowther asked.

"We can," Meliodas replied. He paused to think for a moment. "One point for each blow you land. First one to… five wins."

"Let's do teams," Ban suggested. "Me and the Captain, and then the freaks."

Before anyone could answer, Hawk came trotting outside. "I heard you say it's time for training? The Knight of Scraps Removal is ready for action!"

"Sorry, Master," Ban teased, bending down to Hawk's level. "We're playing teams, and you don't have a partner."

Hawk shouted angrily, but then a voice said from above, "I'll be his partner." They all looked up to see Merlin standing on the lookout balcony, perched against the railing. "After all, we boars must stick together." She snapped her fingers and appeared on the ground in an instant.

"We'll draw lots, that's the only way it's fair," Meliodas decided. He scooped up a few twigs from the ground, and everyone pulled one out. They compared the different sized sticks together to form their matches. "First up will be me and Gowther, looks like," he said. The others sat on the side, except for King, who watched from his pillow.

Meliodas did an extravagant stretching exercise, making the others laugh. Gowther watched curiously. "Is this a delayed attack?"

"Nope," Meliodas grinned, and then sprinted forward. He moved so quickly that an ordinary person would not have been able to see him, but the other Sins tracked his movements as he threw a series of lightning-fast punches. However, Gowther managed to dodge each of them, and hopped away. The Goat Sin turned and kicked at Meliodas. The captain grabbed his leg and tried to flip him over, but Gowther pushed against him and sprinted over his head.

The others cheered. "I can do that," Hawk announced.

The two continued their back-and-forth, each dodging the other expertly. Meliodas jumped from foot to foot, grinning. "Ready to give up?" he laughed.

"Give up?" Gowther asked. "Do you mean it as surrender, or do you mean it as to inform you of my next strategy?"

"Uh, either." He spun and threw a punch, which Gowther blocked. Meliodas pushed his weight forward and managed to knock him off balance. He took advantage of the momentary distraction and elbowed him in the chest. Gowther fell backwards and Meliodas stepped over him. He leaned down and tapped him on the forehead.

"My point!" he said, and the others clapped. "Who's next?"

"Sir Hawk and Sir King," Merlin answered.

"What?!" King cried as Ban roared, "Finally, an opponent that's your equal, King! Go get him!"

Hawk excitedly trotted out on the grass as Meliodas and Gowther joined them on the side. "King doesn't seem happy about this arrangement," Gowther observed.

"Can you blame me?" King yelled. "I'm not fighting a pig!"

"I'm a Knight just like you!" Hawk squealed. "Now, are you scared of me?"

King gritted his teeth in frustration and floated over. "Go easy on him, please," Meliodas called to King, but Hawk answered, "Don't worry, Meliodas, I will!"

"This is going to end badly," Meliodas muttered as he crouched down next to Merlin.

"Oh, I don't know," Merlin said with a smile. "I think Sir Hawk may surprise us yet."

Meliodas didn't have a chance to ask her what she meant because the fight began. Hawk growled (as much as a pig can growl, anyway), and took off towards the fairy. King floated up and over, yawning. "Just give up, Hawk. You can't catch me and I don't want to hurt you."

"Hey, King," Ban called, "no weapons."

"What?" King said, turning his head. At that moment, his pillow shot out from under him and sailed towards Ban, who caught it with ease. "Hey! Give it back."

"No weapons," Ban said again, sitting on the pillow.

"Fine," King said through gritted teeth, floating back to the ground. He turned back to Hawk and pushed up his sleeves. "Come on, piggy. Let's get this over with."

Hawk took off in a long arc, finally barreling towards King. The Sin crouched down, ready to catch him and pin him. However, there was a sudden shift in the air, and before King could react, Hawk was on him in an instant. The boar bowled the Sin over and sat on his chest, cheering, "My point!"

Ban laughed and hooted, running over to the victor. Meliodas clapped, grinning, and muttered, "Merlin, that wasn't very nice."

Merlin smiled innocently. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Ban scooped up the pig and swung him around. "That was great, Master! I knew you could do it."

King sat up, wheezing. "He felt like a million pounds. Who did that?"

"Now, King, don't be a sore loser." King glared at Meliodas and stomped back to where the rest sat, pulling Chastiefol back to his chest and floating a few feet away from everyone else.

"Guess it's you and me, Merlin," Ban said with a smile. He stretched his neck. "I've been waiting for this for a looooong time."

"Have you?" Merlin asked. She walked towards him with arms folded.

Ban nodded. "We've never had it out, you and me. You tricked me when we were at Edinburgh, don't you remember?"

"I'm surprised you do, as drunk as you were then."

Ban laughed. "Don't hold back. I want to see for myself what you can do."

Merlin opened her mouth to say something, but then snapped her head to the side. She peered into the trees around them and said, "Someone's coming."

In an instant they were all up, tuned into the same energy. "Split up," Meliodas said, and they were all off in five different directions.

Ban strode quickly through the trees, chuckling as he heard Hawk shouting behind them, "Hey! Where'd everybody go?" The energy felt very, very familiar, and he cut to the left as he tried to hone in to who it could be. He suddenly stopped and reached out his right hand. Moments later, he caught a slim arm and pulled the newcomer up against him. "Gotcha, you little—" Peering down, he hooted in surprise. "Janko! Is that you?"

"B-Ban!" she yelped in surprise. "How did you—where—where did you come from?" She pulled back, trying to gain her footing, but Ban did not let go of her arm.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Spying on us or something?"

"I heard something going on over here, but I had no idea—hey!" she yelped as Ban swung her over his shoulder. She shouted and squirmed in his grip, but he easily carried her back to the Boar Hat, calling out to the others that he had caught someone.

"Let me down!" she screamed. The others returned just as he did, and he dropped the thrashing girl on the ground. "There you go, Jerry," he sang.

"It's _Jericho_ ," she said, irritated. She scrambled to her feet and looked around at the group, suddenly nervous. "I didn't know it was you all. I heard a commotion and wanted to check it out."

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Meliodas asked.

"On a scouting mission." Jericho put her hands on her hips and raised her chin up, trying to not look as intimidated as she felt. "Gilthunder sent me to gather information on the Marakian army, and find out what kind of reinforcements they may have."

Meliodas frowned. "Why would Gilthunder care about the Marakians?"

Jericho looked around at them in confusion. "Didn't you know? They marched on the capital city two days ago."

There was a shocked silence as the Sins looked at one another. Ban couldn't help but smirk a little. Even Merlin was surprised. Meliodas turned and walked a few paces away from the group as King broke the silence. "Diane! Do you know if she's all right?"

"I don't, not for sure," Jericho answered. "When I left—"

"Captain!" King cried, cutting her off. "We need to go to Liones!" He spun towards Merlin. "You need to get us there, now!"

Merlin raised a hand. "Hang on, King. We can't go barreling in there without knowing—"

"I don't _care_ ," he shouted. "If you won't go with me, then I'm going myself!"

"It's all right," Meliodas called. He had his back facing them, his head bowed as if he was looking at something. After a moment, he put his hand in his pocked and turned around. "Diane and Elizabeth are safe."

"You can't know that!" shouted King.

"Yes, I do," he answered firmly.

Gowther tilted his head. "How exactly?"

Meliodas ignored him. "Jericho, how many Marakians were there?"

"Umm, I'd say less than a thousand," she answered, swallowing nervously. "Between eight and nine hundred. But I didn't find any evidence of more soldiers on their way. I think that's all that the prince had to bring."

"Why would they attack with such a small force?" Merlin asked.

"That's a good question," Meliodas said. "They must have found out about the losses the Holy Knights sustained and saw it as an opportunity."

"Who _cares_ why," King complained. "We should go back. We need to be sure." He moved to stand directly in front of the captain. "Do you forget, the princess is there too?"

"I already told you, they're fine," he answered. "But we should head back that way, in case we're needed. It wouldn't hurt to check in on the king, and we can keep an eye out for Escanor on the way." He rubbed his hands together. "All right then! Let's get Mama Hawk moving!"

The Sins started back towards the Boar Hat, and Meliodas looked over his shoulder. "Are you coming, Jericho?"

"Me?" she said in surprise. "You want me to come with you?"

"Sure!" he said as he jumped up the steps. "I've been needing a new waitress."

.o0o.

"I am not wearing this." It was the next evening, and Jericho stood in the main room, holding up a hanger with a tiny blouse and short skirt hanging from it.

"You have to," Meliodas said. "It's the tavern uniform. If you want to be a waitress—"

"I _don't_ want to be a waitress," Jericho seethed.

"All the other jobs are taken," Ban teased. "Just because you're a Holy Knight, it doesn't mean you get to skip out on work, Jelly-mold."

Jericho huffed in frustration as Meliodas came around the bar, pushing her over towards the steps and telling her to go and get ready. Gowther leaned over and said to Ban, "That is actually inaccurate. Jericho is no longer a Holy Knight."

"Is that so?" Ban raised his eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

"Her power level has decreased dramatically since the last time we encountered her," Gowther explained. "She now only has the level of an apprentice."

"Huh. Captain, did you know that?"

Meliodas shrugged as he walked back around the bar. "I figured as much. All that power she had only appeared after she took the demon blood." He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. After staring at his palm for a moment, he slipped it back inside.

"What ya got here, Captain?" Ban sang, reaching his index finger out. Before he could use Snatch, Meliodas had grabbed his wrist and pinned it on the bar. "None of your business," he said evenly.

Ban yanked his hand away with a laugh. He stood and headed back to the storage room, and almost bumped into Gowther, who had followed him inside. "What do you want?"

"I have a question about your interaction with the captain," Gowther said. Ban groaned as he lifted a crate of vegetables. "If the captain has something he needs in his pocket, why would you try to take it?"

"Because it would be funny," Ban said, moving another crate to the side. "Would you get out of my way?"

"Do others find it funny to steal things from their friends? Or is it only because you are the Sin of Greed?"

"Seriously, get out of the way." He shouldered Gowther to the side, carrying supplies back out to the bar. Jericho was just coming down the steps, blushing furiously in the tavern uniform. "This is humiliating," she muttered, shooting Ban a dark look when he laughed.

.o0o.

Hours later, the last of the customers stumbled out, and Meliodas locked the door. Jericho sat in an exhausted heap at the bar. "You guys do this every night?" she moaned.

"Ah, you'll get used to it," Meliodas said. He looked up as Merlin entered the room. "There you are. Anything new?"

Merlin leaned up against the wall, watching the others clean up. "I've been studying Aldan all evening. Liones seems fine. The army has pulled back, except for a small group outside the city walls."

"You can see all that?" Jericho said, amazed.

"Did you see Diane or Elizabeth?" King asked.

"Not specifically," she answered. "But it seems peaceful enough."

"So what _did_ you see?" Meliodas asked.

"I'm not sure. There is something in the castle, an energy source that I can't pinpoint. It's not like anything I've ever felt before. When I reach out towards it, it… changes."

"What do you mean, it changes?" Jericho asked.

"Hmm," Meliodas murmured, stacking dirty glasses.

King clenched his fists. "There's a threat in the city, and all you can say is 'Hmm'?".

Meliodas didn't answer, but continued to Merlin, "Do you think it has anything to do with what's going on with the king?"

"What's wrong with the king?" Jericho asked, watching King as he angrily flew out of the room.

"It's possible," Merlin said.

Meliodas nodded. "I guess it's a good thing we're heading back there then. Off to bed everyone!" He removed his apron and headed up the stairs, and Merlin and Gowther followed behind.

Ban sat in a stool next to Jericho, picking up a half-full glass of ale and drinking it down. "They didn't answer any questions at all!" she fumed in frustration.

Ban laughed. "Yeah, get used to that." He finished off the glass and headed up to his own room. King was curled up in his hammock, facing the window. Ban kicked off his boots and fell back in his bed, stretching out. "You need to grow a spine," he yawned. "We'd know if there was something up with Diane. Don't be such a coward."

King huffed. "I'm not a coward."

Ban yawned again and decided against arguing. He hoped they reached the capital quickly. He was more than tired of King and Meliodas moping around without their women and would be glad when they were all back together. Besides, if anyone had the right to be miserable over a girl, it was him. He had no patience for the others, who would actually get to see theirs again.

 _Damn_ , he thought as he fell asleep. _I still haven't even had the chance to fight Merlin._


	7. The Great Holy Knight

**A/N:** Is anyone actually still reading this? lol...

This is about the halfway point I think, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Thank you for sticking with me.

.o0o.

 **The Great Holy Knight**

Elizabeth hurried inside her father's receiving room. She gave an unsure curtsy as she entered, and hovered near the door, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He looked up and gave a huge smile, calling, "Ellie, my dearest! Come in, come sit down!"

The princess smiled nervously and took the seat to his left as he waved away the servants clearing away his breakfast. "You wanted to see me, Father?"

The king wiped his mouth with a napkin and waited for the rest to leave the room. Once they were alone, he continued, "I wanted to congratulate you on the good work you have done dealing with Marakia."

Elizabeth's mouth popped open in surprise. "Th—thank you, sir," she stammered, completely taken aback. "I didn't realize you even knew that I had been meeting with them."

"Of course!" he laughed. "It's my duty to know what is going on in my own kingdom, isn't it? Now, I want you to tell me everything you have learned."

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Well, Father, I've been meeting with Prince Lucius to discuss Liones withdrawing from our shared border, and assisting with their recovery from the sanctions the Grand Masters had instituted. The prince has insisted on taking over the border security, which I certainly don't blame him for—"

"Yes, yes," he interrupted, waving his hand. "That's all well and good, but I want to know about the Marakians themselves."

Elizabeth frowned. "Well, Prince Lucius seems pleasant enough. He may be arrogant at times, but when he puts his wounded ego aside, he is gracious. I believe he genuinely wants peace with Liones."

"What of his generals? His army?"

"Everyone has been respectful," she answered. "And the army left three days ago."

Baltra nodded, leaning back in his chair. "So it's true that only the prince remains at this point," he said thoughtfully. "Am I to assume it's only a few advisors as well?"

"About a dozen, I suppose," Elizabeth answered.

"Excellent. That is what I had supposed."

Elizabeth frowned. "Why are you asking? Do you want me to fetch the details of the treaty?"

The king looked over at her and smiled warmly. "My dear, you have done an excellent job keeping the prince occupied, and I cannot thank you enough."

"Keeping him occupied?" she asked, suddenly unsettled. "What do you mean by that?"

"You won't have to worry about your little treaty anymore," Baltra continued, as if he hadn't heard her. "After tomorrow, there will be no more Marakia to worry about."

"What?!" Elizabeth cried, jumping to her feet. "What are you saying? You are going to attack them?"

The king answered calmly, "I told you before, Elizabeth, that a country that makes an act of aggression against Liones would be considered an enemy, and their actions an act of war. I am only defending—"

"But they only want peace! You—you can't do this!"

Baltra's smile faded. "I am the king, and if I were you, I would mind my tone." He stood then, regarding her coldly. "This is already done, my dear. Now you are dismissed."

Elizabeth clenched her fists, trying to keep herself from saying something she would regret. Her father's expression had chilled her to the bone, and for the first time in her life, she was afraid of him. She made a quick bow and fled the room.

She flattened herself against the wall of the hallway, her eyes squeezed shut, taking deep breaths. Elizabeth willed herself not to cry. Her mind raced with images of the two kingdoms in battle, and the destruction and lives lost that it would bring made her stomach churn and her head pound. Her hand went inside the collar of her dress, and she pulled out the little chain that held the coin Meliodas had given her.

Elizabeth looked at it in her palm for a long moment. He had told her to use it if she had trouble and needed him. She wanted nothing more than to press the coin and call him to her, and leave all this to his strength to handle. It would be such a relief to see him again… But Meliodas was on his own quest, he had said to her. Could she really call him away to come to her aid once again?

 _No,_ she thought. _I can do this_. Elizabeth replaced the chain under her collar and decided to find Margaret first. The princess practically ran to the throne room, looking for her, but it was empty.

She hurried through the hallways, looking for her sister, but found Diane instead on her way to the bedrooms. "Elizabeth! What in the world?"

"Diane!" she cried, clutching her friend's arms. Elizabeth pulled her inside an adjacent room and closed the door before whispering, "I need to find Margaret. The king is planning something horrible. Where is everyone?"

"I'm not sure. What is going on?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "He didn't tell me exactly. But I know he's going to do something terrible to Prince Lucius. I need to stop him."

"Okay." Diane paused to think for a moment. "I think Gilthunder is at the Southern Tower, where the training center is. He might know where the princess went."

Elizabeth nodded and the two quickly made their way through the castle and out. The princess was conscious that they might be watched, and tried to keep a smile on her face, as if they were two friends on a walk. Diane kept her senses heightened, trying to discern any threat that might arise towards the princess.

The guard let them into the center, and Diane led the way through the building. They found Gilthunder and Howzer standing together, watching a group of soldiers bringing equipment inside. "Gilthunder!" Elizabeth called, running over.

"Princess?" The two knights exchanged a glance as she and Diane approached. "What is it?" Gilthunder asked.

"I need to find Margaret," Elizabeth said quietly. "Do you know where she went?"

"She's in the city today, visiting the hospital, I believe," he answered. "Is everything all right?"

Elizabeth shook her head and Gilthunder took her by the arm, leading them behind an alcove and out of sight. Howzer and Diane crowded around either side. "What is it?"

"The king is going to attack the Marakians," Elizabeth told them. "He said they would be gone by tomorrow. We can't let him do this! They are here as guests. They are not a threat to us."

"Why would he do this?" Howzer asked. "Attacking the prince will only start a war with them."

"The king has not been himself for many weeks," Gilthunder said gravely. He clenched his jaw. "There hasn't been an order from him yet. He must be using one of his own groups."

"Dawn Roar is not in the city," Howzer said. He looked at Diane. "Neither are the Seven Deadly Sins, for that matter."

"Then he's using lower ranking knights," Gilthunder said.

"Well, how do we stop this?" Diane asked.

Gilthunder shook his head. "If the king commands the knights to attack, I don't know how we could stop them without a fight."

"The Grand Master could stop them." The three looked at Elizabeth, who was frowning in thought. "The king can only do this because the order to attack would normally have to come from the Great Holy Knight." She looked up suddenly, her cheeks flushed. "There needs to be a vote. Today. Margaret can make a nomination. There has to be enough knights left in the city to name a new Grand Master."

Howzer and Gilthunder exchanged a look. "Only Ruby rank or higher can vote," Howzer said. "We'll need to bring in everyone in the area to have a majority."

"Then do it," Elizabeth said. "This needs to happen as soon as possible, and it needs to be secret. If the king hears—"

"I'll take care of it," Howzer said, nodding.

Elizabeth turned to Gilthunder. "Can you find Margaret? You need a nomination from the royal family. Bring her here and tell her to put your name forward." He shook his head and started to protest, but she insisted, "There's no time to argue! If you don't want the appointment, you can resign later. You're the only one she will trust enough, you and I both know that."

"She's right," Howzer said. "You're also the only one here that has a high enough rank for the position."

"Where will you be, Elizabeth?" Diane asked.

"I need to go and warn Prince Lucius. He trusts me."

"Then I'll go with you."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Help Howzer to get all of the Holy Knights here for the vote. We can't let the king give the order. I will be back soon." She turned and hurried away before any of them could stop her.

"Come on," Diane said. "Elizabeth gave us a job to do."

"You know that you can't vote," Gilthunder said to her. "Technically, you and the rest of the Sins are no longer ranked Holy Knights."

Diane bristled and was about to snap back at him, but Howzer said heatedly, "Diane may not be ranked, but the Holy Knights respect her. Many of them will listen to her before me, or even you." He glared at Gilthunder for a moment before continuing, "Let's go, Diane. As you said, we have a job to do."

.o0o.

Three hours later, Gilthunder led Margaret into the Southern Tower. He kept his hand on the small of her back, steering her to the large hall they used as a meeting room. As they neared the door, Margaret stopped. "I don't know if I can do this," she said tightly.

The Holy Knight put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "You are the daughter of a king," he whispered to her. "You are the first princess of Liones, and Liones needs you now."

She let out a shaky breath. "How do we know this will work?"

"We don't," he answered. "But I swear I will protect you, and protect this kingdom." Margaret nodded, and took a deep breath. She squared back her shoulders and entered the hall, her serene expression masking her nervousness.

The room was filled with dozens of Holy Knights, all standing and talking and shouting. Howzer spotted them and called for quiet as Diane hurried over. "We found as many as we could. It should be enough." She looked around and said to Gilthunder, "Elizabeth isn't with you?"

"No," he answered.

Diane wrung her hands. "She should be back by now. I am going to look for her." The Sin pushed her way back through the crowd.

"Princess Margaret," Howzer called, snapping her attention back to the task at hand. The Knights all bowed as she moved to the front of the room. Howzer stepped aside and all eyes focused on her.

"My good knights," she said slowly. "As you know, the king has yet to name a new Grand Master of Liones. Because of recent events, this task has now fallen to me." The crowd murmured and one shouted, "Where is the king?"

"Preparing for a battle that Liones cannot afford," she announced. The noise grew louder, and Margaret raised her voice. "The king is determined to bring Liones into a war with Marakia. I call on you all to do your duty to our kingdom and protect our people, who will be the ones hurt if this happens. You must choose a new Grand Master who can defend them against the king."

"Your Highness," another called, "what you are suggesting… some would see as treason."

"The king will not name a Grand Master," she said adamantly. "He is going to order an attack on an ally and cause the death of many innocent people. That could also be seen as treason." She turned and looked at Gilthunder. "We need a Grand Master who can stop this from happening. I nominate Holy Knight Gilthunder to be Grand Master of Liones."

The room erupted into talk. Howzer stepped up and shouted over them for silence. "The princess had made her nomination. Now we must vote."

"No need for that." The king strode into the room, and the Holy Knights moved to the sides, kneeling. Margaret clutched her hands to keep herself from trembling. Both Howzer and Gilthunder moved simultaneously to stand in front of her, each placing a hand on the hilts of their swords.

"Margaret, my dear," Baltra said kindly. "You did not need to trouble yourself with all of this." He turned back to the room and signaled for the Holy Knights to rise. "Please forgive my daughter. I'm afraid she's gotten a bit carried away."

"Is it true, Sire?" one called out. "Are you planning to attack Marakia?"

The king's smile remained even as his eyes grew hard. "I am planning on defending Liones against her enemies. I will not be questioned by any Holy Knight sworn to me."

"The Holy Knights are sworn to Liones, not to the king," Gilthunder said gravely.

Baltra scowled at him, but before he could answer another knight called, "Why won't you name a new Grand Master?" The rest voiced their agreement, and the king raised a hand for silence. "A new Grand Master? Is that what you all want? Fine, then. I name myself Great Holy Knight."

There was a momentary shock of silence, and then the knights began to shout in protest. "You can't do this!—We won't stand for this!—The king cannot be Grand Master!"

"The offices must be separate!" a knight yelled.

"Your Majesty is not even a Holy Knight!" came another.

Gilthunder stepped forward and growled, "You can't name yourself Grand Master. No man may have that much power."

"I am no ordinary man." Baltra's hand moved to his sword, and Gilthunder instinctively began to draw his own. The next moment was a blur; there was a flash of fire, and Gilthunder's body was thrown across the hall. He fell in a heap on the floor, groaning and trying to stand. Margaret screamed and tried to run to him, but Howzer grabbed her arm and pulled her back. The king still held his sword in his hand, blocking her path, the blade ablaze with an unnatural fire.

"How?" Howzer whispered, and Margaret shook her head, choking back a sob. Her father had never had such power, and had never raised his hand against anyone before. For him to not only attack, but to take down a Holy Knight as powerful as Gilthunder was unthinkable.

No one moved except the king, who walked slowly back through the crowd. "I am the king of Liones." His voice boomed in the hall. All were silent except for Margaret, who wept against Howzer's arm. "Anyone who dares to defy me will only find death." He reached Gilthunder, who shakily pushed himself up on his hands and knees. "Gilthunder," he said, his voice filled with disdain, "you are guilty of treason and sedition. I strip you of your title and banish you from Liones from this day forward."

"Father, no! Please!" Margaret screamed. Baltra turned and swept his eyes over the room, finally landing on the princess for a long moment. He sheathed his sword, snuffing out the flames, and walked out of the hall.


	8. Crossing Paths

**Crossing Paths**

Elizabeth was out of breath by the time she reached the Marakians. They had been permitted to set up a camp just outside the city walls. Prince Lucius had remained with several of his advisors and generals, and they had a dozen large tents erected in a protective circle around the prince's, which was the largest and most grand of the set.

Two guards immediately stopped the princess as she ran up to them. "Please," she panted, "I need to speak to the prince." She pushed past them against their protests and hurried to the center tent.

The prince and two of his Holy Knights were inside, and they all looked up in surprise as she entered. "Your Highness," called the soldiers who had followed her, "our apologies, but she just—"

"It's fine," Prince Lucius said, smiling and standing. "My dear Princess Elizabeth, how wonderful to see you. But I thought our meeting was later in the day?"

"I must speak with you," she said with a deep breath. "It's a matter of great urgency."

The prince smiled and nodded to the guards. "Now, my princess," he said, walking over to her and taking her hand, "what is it you need to discuss?"

Elizabeth shook her head and gently pulled her hand away. "I'm afraid I have something terrible to tell you." She swallowed. "The king is planning to attack your camp tomorrow. I believe he is going to send his Holy Knights against you."

Lucius frowned. "Why would he do that? I thought we had had an agreement."

"The king is not… himself," she said. "My sister and I—" She wrung her hands and blurted on, "To be honest, we don't know what is wrong with him. I never imagined he would do something like this. You must leave at once."

There was a pause as the prince regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Is this some kind of a trick? If it's true, why would you tell me this?"

"It's not a trick!" she insisted. "I could not stand by and let him do this. I meant everything I said about our kingdoms having peace."

"You are defying your father and king with this warning, and yet you want me to trust you?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Please, Your Highness. My sister Margaret is doing what she can to stop this. But if she fails, the Holy Knights will follow the king's command. You must be safely away as soon as possible."

The prince turned away, considering her warning. He exchanged a glance with his advisors, and then faced the guard. "Liones has threatened us," he said to them. "We must leave at once." The advisors nodded and exited the tent as he turned to the remaining guards. "Make sure the princess doesn't leave. She will accompany us back to Marakia."

Elizabeth gasped. "What? I couldn't possibly—"

"I told you before that I was not leaving without a princess. If you are with me, the king may exhibit some restraint."

"You can't do this! I won't go with you!"

"You don't have a choice."

"No!" Lucius began to leave, and Elizabeth rushed in front of him. "I trusted you! I betrayed my own father to come here!" she cried.

"And I thank you for that." The prince smiled. "I'm sure you'll be happy in Marakia, with me. We go within the hour." He stepped around her and swept out of the tent.

Elizabeth went to follow him, but the guards blocked the door. She stepped back, clutching a hand to her chest. She wished furiously that she had brought Diane with her. Elizabeth suspected that no one would start to look for her until well after they were gone. Now her efforts to stop a war were all for nothing. She knew the Holy Knights would come after her and force the battle Lucius was running to avoid.

Her only hope now was for Gilthunder to become Grand Master and stop the attack. If they succeeded, maybe she could convince Lucius to bring her back. But if they did not… Once again she wished that Diane was there, and her hand brushed against a small lump under her dress. Moving away from the guards, she pulled on the chain around her neck looked down at the coin now in her hand.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment before pressing the coin between her palms. Opening her hands, she saw that the coin now glowed with a soft blue light. The light began to pulse, and as she prayed she was making the right decision, she could not help but feel a small twinge of relief.

.o0o.

King sat on the lookout balcony and sighed. Mama Hawk moved at an easy pace towards their next town, but they were still leagues away from the capital. King was anxious to get there as quickly as possible to check on Diane. He knew deep down that if she was in danger—or worse—he would know, somehow. But that did nothing to alleviate the growing sense of dread he felt.

Gripping Chastiefol, he leaned over the side of the railing. Below, Meliodas and Ban were playing some kind of game with Hawk. Their shouts and laughter floated up to him as he huffed in frustration. How could they carry on like this when Liones could be in danger, their friends in danger? He would have never in a million years guessed the Captain would be so callous when it came to the princess. Meliodas had assured them several times that Diane and Elizabeth were fine, but there was no way he could know that for sure.

He felt something nudge his elbow, and he sat back and looked down. Oslow snorted up at him, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. King scratched his head for a moment, and then gripped his hand into a fist. "Oslow, let's go. I want to go to Liones Castle." He looked down at the black dog. "Can you find Diane? She should be with Princess Elizabeth. Can you take me to them?"

Oslow gave a harsh bark and jumped, disappearing in a blink of an eye. King peeked down over the railing again, making sure no one had seen or heard them. A moment later, Oslow reappeared, giving a series of short barks. "Quiet," King hissed. The hound yawned, his mouth growing larger, and King climbed inside.

The next moment, the Grizzly Sin blinked and found himself in a wholly unfamiliar place. "Oslow, what did you do?" he complained, and then was interrupted when he heard someone shout his name. He turned around and saw the princess rushing towards him. "Sir King! It's you!" She laughed and took his hand. "I'm so glad! Did Sir Meliodas send you?"

King looked at her, confused. "No, Oslow brought me here." He looked around. "Where is Diane?"

"I don't know," Elizabeth whispered.

"Oslow!" The dog barked at King's feet. "I told you I wanted you to bring me to Diane. _Diane_." The dog gave another rough yap. "No, I said she _should_ be with the princess." A low growl. "Would you just go and find Diane now?" Oslow made a high-pitched bark and jumped out of sight.

"Sir King!" There was a tightness in Elizabeth's voice that drew the Sin's attention. He looked at her and frowned. "What is it?"

"You must be quiet or they'll hear you!"

"Who?"

She leaned down. "There are two guards at the door. Can you help me get out of here?"

"Why are there guards at the door? What's going on?" He looked around again. "Is this the castle?"

"No," she hissed. "Please, they'll hear you."

"What's going on in there?" The guards entered, drawing up short when they spotted King. "Who are you? No one is allowed in here!" They drew their swords, and King lifted his hand. "Spirit Spear Chastiefol, Form—"

"No!" Elizabeth cried, grabbing King's arm. "Don't kill them!"

"I'm not going to kill them," he said calmly. The Sacred Treasure had transformed into dozens of small spears, and they hung in the air, inches from where the soldiers stood, frozen in fear. "Now tell me what is going on."

"My father is planning an attack on the Marakians. This is Prince Lucius' tent." Elizabeth sucked in a deep breath. "He was keeping me here. He wanted to take me back to Marakia with him."

King frowned. "I don't understand. Why would the king—"

"Please, Sir King!" she cried. "It's been almost an hour, the prince should be back any minute. I don't want there to be any fighting, and if he finds me here—"

"All right, all right," he muttered. King turned his attention back to the soldiers. "Run away now, please."

The soldiers took a step backwards. "Our orders are—" They were cut off as King snapped his fingers, and the daggers surged forward. Both turned and fled from the tent.

Elizabeth clapped her hands. "Thank you! Now, please, let's get out of here."

"Wait. Where is Diane?"

The princess shook her head. "I don't know. I left her back at the castle more than two hours ago."

Before he could respond, there was a shout from outside the tent, and then the sound of an explosion. Elizabeth screamed as the blast caused the tent to collapse. King grabbed her arm and pulled her away, and out into the camp.

The scene outside was chaotic. Soldiers from both kingdoms fought, and Holy Knights from both sides threw attacks at each other. The sounds of shouting and groaning filled the air, with the blasts from the fighting becoming deafening. The Marakians, who were only a dozen Holy Knights and about the same number of guards, were becoming quickly overwhelmed by the force from Liones.

King dodged as an attack flew by, grabbing Elizabeth and pulling her out of the way. He shouted a command and Chastiefol burst into the Guardian form. It swept her up in its arms, and King floated on its shoulder. The Guardian weaved its way through the turmoil, covering Elizabeth from the attacks.

The Grizzly Sin heard the princess shout, and when he looked down, she was struggling against the Guardian's arm holding her, pointing at something. They lumbered around a group of knights locked in combat and Elizabeth scrambled down, running towards a heap of rubble. King shouted at her to stop as he followed.

The princess fell to her knees, pulling a figure up. It was a young man, and Elizabeth wiped blood from his brow. "Prince Lucius!" she shouted. "Are you hurt? Can you speak?"

"You…" he coughed, unable to move. Elizabeth looked up at King. "We have to take him with us."

"Princess, we need to go now." The Guardian swiped its arm through the air, knocking away a blade that headed towards them.

"I'm not leaving him here!" She struggled to pull the prince up. "I'm taking him to the castle." Elizabeth pulled the prince's arm around her neck and tried to lift him, groaning with the effort.

King grumbled and pointed. The Guardian picked up the prince, and they hurried away again. As they entered the city, people were gathered in the streets, watching the battle happening on the other side of the wall. Suddenly, chunks of stone flew as a part of the wall exploded, and the people screamed as they ran for cover.

.o0o.

Howzer was watching the battle from the top of the Southern Tower when the city wall exploded. He gave a yell, turning and running down the steps. He could hear the other Holy Knights, still below in the yard after the failed election meeting, shouting. "Princess Margaret!" he called, barging through a door.

Inside, the princess knelt on the floor, next to Gilthunder. The Holy Knight was propped up against the wall, his head back, eyes closed. His armor had been removed, and a burn that blackened his skin covered the entire left side of his torso. She lifted her head from where she was laying fresh bandages on his injury, but did not turn around. "Princess Margaret," he called. "The king has started his attack. Holy Knights have attacked the Marakian camp, but the battle has moved into the city."

Her hands paused momentarily. "It's the king's command," she said quietly, and returning to wrapping the wound.

"Your Highness," Howzer said, "I cannot order the Holy Knights to go, but you can." When she didn't answer, he shouted, "There are people down there, and they are hurt! Diane could be there… _Elizabeth_ could be there, right now." Margaret froze, sucking in a deep breath.

"We need to go." Gilthunder's voice was strained with pain as he tried to stand.

"Gilthunder, no," Margaret said sharply. "If anyone sees you—"

"I can't let this happen," he said, but she pushed him back when he moved. "Margaret, people will die if we don't stop this."

"You can't go," she insisted. They regarded each other for a long moment, and then Margaret stood and walked briskly from the room. Howzer gave Gilthunder a last glance and followed her.

The princess stepped out into the square, and the Holy Knights gathered there turned and bowed. "Princess, we—" one began, but she held up her hand.

"The king has decided to attack," she announced. "The fight has come to the city. You must go and protect the people. Do not interfere with the king, or the knights he commands. If he wants to fight Marakia, let him do it outside the city. Just—just make sure the people are safe." The knights began to leave in a flash, and Margaret turned to Howzer. Her expression was shockingly cold, and he thought that if she could kill him with a look, he would have been dead. "Find my sister," she said bitingly. "Bring her back here." Without waiting for acknowledgment, she turned on her heel and headed back inside.

Howzer grit his teeth and summoned his strength. He used the winds to transport himself into the city, and when he touched down near the damaged wall, he quickly assessed the area. The other Holy Knights were arriving, directing people towards the castle. He strode forward towards the break in the wall, pulling out his lance. If the king insisted on fighting the Marakians, he would make sure the fight stayed outside the city walls, Howzer decided.

He paused as he heard a familiar female voice and turned his head. He spotted Diane hurrying through the crowds. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" she shouted.

"Diane!" he called. She spotted him and rushed forward. "Howzer! I can't find Elizabeth. I don't know where she is!" Diane looked around in panic.

"I'll help you look for her," he said. The streets were nearly cleared of the civilians now that the Holy Knights had arrived, and he was glad to see many were moving to protect the damaged wall with the same idea he had. They headed off together, following the crowd, searching through the sea of faces. "Oh, why aren't I a giant right now?" Diane wailed.

"This way," Howzer said. He stepped down a side street, and was pleased to find it deserted. They jogged together as he said, "This should take us out on the other side of these houses," he said, but stopped short as Diane suddenly halted. "What is it?"

"Ohhh, why now?" she squealed. Diane looked back and forth wildly.

"Diane?" Howzer asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's a summoning spell." She looked at him frantically. "I—I need to go!"

"What?!" Howzer was stunned. "What are you talking about? We have to find the princess!"

"You don't understand," Diane moaned, pulling on her pigtails. "When we became the Seven Deadly Sins, there were certain things we agreed to—oaths that we took—rules we have to follow. When the Captain gives a direct order, we have to follow it, no matter what."

"What does that—"

"When the Captain needed us, he'd have Merlin, or sometimes Gowther, do a summoning spell. It's happening now—the Captain wants us all back at the Boar Hat, _now_. I have to go!"

"But Diane—"

"Howzer, you have to find Elizabeth. Get her somewhere safe. Please, I'm counting on you!"

He tried to protest, but the Serpent Sin turned and ran back down the street. As she rounded the corner, he yelped in surprise as she suddenly grew back to her giantess size. He saw her brown hair over the tops of the buildings, running quickly towards the south and out of sight.

.o0o.

"There!" Elizabeth pointed at a door to the side. They had reached the front courtyard of the castle, which was eerily deserted. The princess guessed that everyone had taken cover. All of the guards were up on the walls, and the Holy Knights were in the city. They slipped in unnoticed, the prince unconscious and floating with them on the pillow.

Elizabeth led them through another door and into an empty storage room. King directed the pillow to the floor, and he helped the princess prop Lucius up against the wall. He moaned as she assessed his injuries. He was bleeding from a gash on his head, and he had bruises on his neck and arms. She took his hands in hers and closed her eyes. Warmth flowed through her veins, and she wished him to be healed.

The room was quiet for several minutes, until Elizabeth felt the prince stir. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with a mixture of fear and amazement. "What—what is this?" he gasped.

The princess simply smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"How did you do this?"

Instead of answering, she stood and faced the Grizzly Sin. "Thank you, Sir King. You saved both of our lives."

King nodded. "The fighting should be over soon. You'll be safe here while I go and look for Diane." He started to go, but Elizabeth called to him to wait. "Sir King, you said that Sir Meliodas did not send you here. Then how did you know about the attack?"

"I didn't," he answered, looking back at her. "Not really. We heard word yesterday that Marakia had tried to invade, and I decided to check on things. Good thing I did." His eyes flickered over to the prince. "Will you be all right?"

Elizabeth nodded, and the Fairy King left. Prince Lucius started asking her questions, but she ignored him and pulled the chain out from around her neck. The coin was still a soft blue, but the pulsing had stopped. _If you have any trouble, and need me right away, just press this between your two palms_ , Meliodas had told her. _Then I know you need help, and I'll come._

She bit her lip. Elizabeth had never doubted him before; never had any reason to. She thought of when he was unconscious in Dalmary; when he was trapped in the Goddess Amber; when she gave herself over to Hendrickson. Elizabeth had never felt truly afraid, because a part of her trusted Meliodas completely, knowing that he would do anything to keep her safe, to keep their promise to each other.

But he had not come. It had been hours since she had used the coin, and he had not come to her.

 _There must be a good reason_ , she thought to herself, stowing the coin back under her dress. The thought did nothing to ease the twisting in her stomach. Then, another thought that gripped her heart with ice: _Nothing would keep him from coming, not if he truly wanted to._

She turned towards the prince, who was trying to get her attention. "Princess Elizabeth," he said slowly. He had climbed to his feet and was watching her with wide eyes. "We should go. If you come with me, I can—"

"No." If she was alone, truly alone, then Elizabeth had only one thing left to do. "I do need to go, but not with you."

"Then where?"

"I'm going to find the king. I'm going to put a stop to all of this, once and for all." Without another word, she opened the door and left.


	9. Chance Encounters

**Chance Encounters**

Elizabeth stole up the staircase and through a corridor. She was trying to avoid being seen, which was typically difficult with a castle full of servants, counselors, and guards. She did not want her father hearing word of what she was doing or where she was heading.

As she ducked into another stairwell, she pressed back against the wall and sighed. Elizabeth was being followed, and she was pretty certain she knew who it was. She waited silently for a minute, and then sure enough, footsteps echoed closer. After another minute, Prince Lucius rounded the corner, starting in surprise when he saw her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him.

"You shouldn't be alone," he answered her. When she shushed him, he went on quietly, "There is a battle going on and there are Holy Knights everywhere. Do you think you ought to be running around unattended?"

Elizabeth turned her gaze away, not wanting to be caught rolling her eyes at the prince. She listened for someone coming down the end of the hall, and when it seemed clear, she hurried up the steps and past the rows of doors, the prince on her heels.

"Where are we going?" he whispered in her ear as she paused. Elizabeth jumped and whirled on him, frustrated. "Don't do that!"

Lucius took her firmly by the elbow. "I want to know where we're going. Are you leading me into some kind of trap?"

"Haven't I proven myself trustworthy to you by now?" she retorted, not even trying to keep the scorn from her voice. "If you are that worried, then go."

"Haven't I told you I'm not leaving without a princess?" he said with a half smile. Elizabeth yanked her arm away and prepared to answer him back when they both froze at the sound of voices. The princess hurried a little further down the hallway, Lucius following behind. She pushed a door open and they slipped inside.

Elizabeth listened, the door slightly ajar. "I thought I heard someone come down here," came from the hallway.

"No one is here. You are imagining things," another answered.

The footsteps receded, and Elizabeth shut the door with a small click. She turned and started looking through the stacks of papers on a large table near the windows on the far side of the room. "What is this?" the prince asked.

"The king's private study," Elizabeth answered. She peered at a paper before tossing it aside. "There is something wrong with my father, and I want to find out why. He doesn't act this way."

Lucius folded his arms and scoffed, "It seems that the king of Liones has been treating his friends poorly for quite some time."

"I told you before, it was the Grand Masters that invaded Marakia, not my father," she answered, irritated.

"Your father allowed it," he snapped back.

Elizabeth ignored him again, continuing to search the desk for a clue. Nothing at all seemed out-of-place. She crossed to a cabinet against the opposite wall and pulled the doors open. She looked through the shelves, examining the labels on jars and leafing through books, but found absolutely nothing unusual.

Frustrated, she banged the cabinet closed. She swept her eyes one more time over the room and paused. There was a noise coming from somewhere inside the room. Elizabeth listened closely, and heard it again. It was easy to catch it in the deep silence of the room. "Did you hear that?" Lucius asked. The princess looked over at him and held up a hand.

She moved to the wall, going slowly along the length to try to pinpoint its source. When it came again, she hurried to the door leading to a private room on the side.

The prince called to her to stop, but she flung the door open. Inside was empty. No bigger than a closet, it was a room that could be used to secure the king temporarily in an attack. Slowly she stepped inside, reaching out to press her hands against the wall. The noise sounded again, louder this time, and she turned to the left. As she felt along the wall, she noticed that some of the planks of wood were rougher than others.

"Help me," she called. The prince moved in next to her, and together they pulled at the board. Her arms strained as they tried to remove it, but it was nailed tightly. They moved to another board, and this one seemed easier. After giving it another mighty pull, this board started to come loose. Elizabeth tumbled backwards into the prince as it gave way, and they tossed it to the side.

The princess crouched down and peered inside the hole they had made. There was very little light, and as her eyes adjusted, she could make out a figure inside. It turned its head, and Elizabeth gasped. It was her father.

.o0o.

Howzer jogged through the city streets, frustrated. He knew he would never find the princess in the throngs of citizens who were moving together towards the center of the city, trying to escape the Holy Knights fighting at the wall. It sounded to him that the worst of it was over, and he assumed that the Marakians were finished. He only prayed that Elizabeth was not there and among those trying to escape.

He finally gave up and decided to try a new strategy. He made a couple of turns and ended up in front of a small hut stuck in between a row of merchant's buildings. It certainly didn't look like a business; rather, it was more like a pile of bricks that had collapsed on itself. He pushed the crooked door open and stepped inside.

"We're closed! We're closed!" came a shriek. Howzer shut the door behind him and moved further inside. He spied the top of a head ducked behind a bookshelf. "No customers today!"

"Teddy, come out here," he said. "I need your help with something."

A short man with wild hair and a dirty robe peeked out from behind the shelf. "Sir Howzer! It's wonderful you are here! But I'm sorry, I'm closed today—"

"Enough," he said curtly. "I need you to do a Location spell."

"Location spell?" the man squeaked. "I'm very sorry, but I don't—"

Howzer exhaled loudly. "I know you still have some of your power," he said impatiently. "You might not be a Mage anymore, but you can still do some things. I need a Location spell. Now."

Teddy opened his mouth to protest, but the glower that came from the usually easygoing knight made him reconsider. He zipped around the small shop, gathering items and muttering to himself, "Blasted Holy Knights… Goddesses take the whole lot of you…"

He threw a few things into a bowl and then looked up at Howzer. "Who am I locating now?"

"Princess Elizabeth." Teddy looked at him in surprise, but then shrugged and looked back down at the bowl. He said a few words and swirled the contents around. "She's in the city," he concluded.

"I _know_ that," Howzer growled. "Can you be more specific?"

The shorter man sighed loudly and looked again. "The castle. I think." He looked back at Howzer, who raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure." He stole another glance into the bowl. "Try the east wing."

Howzer nodded and turned to leave. "Aren't you going to pay me?" the man called, but the Holy Knight ignored him and stepped back out into the street. He lifted his hand and a moment later, a cyclone rose from his feet. His power brought him to the east entrance of the castle seconds later.

He stole through the door and inside, wondering where the guards were, and nearly ran into King. "You!" the Grizzly Sin exclaimed. Chastiefol instantly appeared as the spear, hovering next to him.

"Hey, now," Howzer said, holding his palms up. "What are you doing here? I thought the Seven Deadly Sins were halfway across Britannia by now."

"None of your business," said King. "Are you one of the knights in the attack?"

Howzer put his hands on his hips. "Of course not," he said indignantly. "I've been trying to find Princess Elizabeth. I'm on Princess Margaret's orders."

King folded his arms. "The princess is here. I rescued her from the Marakians." He narrowed his eyes. "How did she get taken in the first place?"

"She went to—nevermind, it's too long of a story for now. Is she safe?"

"Of course she's safe." King floated closer. "Diane wasn't with her, and I know she would never willingly leave the princess' side. Do you know where she is?"

"Why didn't you say so in the first place? As a matter of fact—" Howzer paused and furrowed his brow. "Wait, why are you still in Liones? Diane said that you Sins had to answer a Summoning spell."

"A Summoning spell? What are you talking about?" King snapped. "There hasn't been a Summoning spell."

"Diane seemed to think so. She's on her way back to the Boar Hat now."

The normally aloof Fairy King suddenly looked panic-stricken. "Oslow!" he shouted, and a moment later, the large black Hound appeared. "Boar Hat, now," King hissed, and Oslow began to open his jaws.

"Wait!" Howzer exclaimed. "Where is Elizabeth?"

"East wing," King said before disappearing inside the mouth of the dog. Olsow promptly disappeared too. "That was strange," Howzer muttered to himself before continuing his search.

.o0o.

King materialized in the main room of the Boar Hat, practically on top of Ban. The Fox Sin yelped in surprised and jerked backwards, almost falling off his stool. "King! Where the hell did you come from?" he shouted angrily.

"Captain!" Ignoring Ban, King whirled on Meliodas. "What's going on? Where's Diane?"

Meliodas gave him a strange look. "Diane's in the capital. Where she's been for weeks," he laughed.

King shook his head. "She's on her way here to answer your Summoning spell."

Now he frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't send one."

The three Sins looked at each other. Meliodas shoved one hand into his pocket, and then his eyes went wide. "What—"

The others did not hear the rest of his question, because Jericho burst into the room at that moment and declared, "I think Diane is heading this way!" King flew outside as Ban jumped to the window and peered out. "That's Diane all right. I can see her hair over the trees." He looked back at Meliodas. "Did you really—Captain, what's wrong?"

Meliodas was frozen, his face a mask of fear. "I lost it," he choked, and then roared, " _Merlin!_ I need you!"

He took off outside, and Ban and Jericho followed. Diane was just running up to the bar, and King was waving her over. "Diane! You're all right!" he shouted. "Were you there in the battle?"

"What battle?" Ban asked. Meliodas strode forward, a furious look on his face. Diane crouched down as she caught her breath. "Captain," she panted, "why did you call for us? What's wrong?"

"I didn't," he said bitterly.

Diane's face was stricken. "But you did! I know you did! It was—"

"A very powerful enchantment," he said, cutting her off. "Where is Elizabeth?"

"I don't know!" she wailed. Diane knelt on the ground, grabbing her hair in distress. Merlin walked up to them as she went on, "Howzer and I were looking for her when you sent the summons. She had gone to warn the Marakians that the king was going to attack. I was helping to round up the Holy Knights so they could vote in a new Grand Master to stop him."

"What the hell is going on in Liones?" Jericho asked.

"Nothing good," Meliodas muttered, turning to Merlin. "I need to get there, now. And not just anywhere in the city. You have to put me where Elizabeth is."

Merlin frowned. "What happened to—"

"I don't know," Meliodas seethed. "Just get me into the capital."

"All right. It'll take me a few minutes to find her location." She snapped her fingers and disappeared. Meliodas turned back to the others. "Follow me there. Once I figure out what is going on, we can decide what to do from there."

"This is not as funny as I had hoped." Ban jumped at Gowther's voice next to him. "Can you all stop doing that?" he shouted. Then he narrowed his eyes at the Goat Sin. "What's not funny?"

"The joke on the Captain," Gowther answered evenly. "I stole his token. You said it would be funny, but I don't think I understand this humor."

Ban's eyes widened. "Uh, Captain? That thing in your pocket, did it have something to do with the princess?"

Meliodas gave him a dark look. "Why?"

"Because I think Freak Boy here stole it."

"You _WHAT_?" the Captain roared.

Ban sidled away from Gowther as he pulled the coin, now glowing blue, from the pocket on his shirt. He held it out in his palm as he explained, "Ban said it was funny to take—" He did not get a chance to finish, because Meliodas exploded, sending him flying with one punch. The Dragon Sin gritted his teeth, turning away from the others who watched in shock, and in Ban's case, amusement.

Merlin reappeared and Meliodas bit out, "Are you finally ready?"

"I think so. She's moving, which is making this more difficult. But I should get you as close—"

"Just do it." Merlin swiped her hand in the air, and the Captain started to fade. "Follow me," was his last command before winking out of sight.

The remaining Sins looked at each other. "Let's go then," Merlin finally said. "Diane can fill us in on the situation on the way."

.o0o.

"Father?" Elizabeth pressed her face against the boards. "Father!"

The figure slid closer and a voice choked, "Elizabeth? Is that you?"

"Are you hurt?" she reached her fingers inside the opening, and gasped when his hand grazed hers. "What happened to you?"

"Elizabeth, you must go," he whispered. "Go warn the Holy Knights. They are planning terrible things."

"Who, Father?" She tried to yank on the other boards. "I'm not leaving you here. I'm getting you out of here."

Prince Lucius moved in to help, but as they pulled they heard a voice in the study. They both froze and listened. "Have the prisoners moved into cells. Find out what happened to the prince. I want him alive." Lucius and Elizabeth looked at each other in shock. She crept towards the door as the familiar voice continued to give orders. Slowly she opened it and peeked out. There stood her father, the king, in the center of the room.


	10. The Two Kings

**A/N:** I just wanted to take a moment to apologize for this taking long than usual. But there is a really good reason! I've been working on a new fic with the amazing DOMinMatrix called _In Love and War_. It's a collaboration between the both of us, and I hope you give it a shot. Dom has been absolutely incredible to work with, and I know it's going to be an absolutely fabulous story. We just published the first chapter, so please make sure you check it out!

Meanwhile, I hope you like this new chapter! This is actually the first thing I had for this story, and the rest of this fic was built around it. It took me many tries to get this done after living in my brain for so long. Thank you for reading!

.o0o.

 **The Two Kings**

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as she took in the sight of her father standing in the study. "It's not possible," she whispered. She looked back over at Prince Lucius. "How can this be?"

The Marakian only shook his head, too astonished to answer. They heard the door shut, and Elizabeth peered out again. The king was alone, and walked around the table to sit in his chair. "The battle went as well as expected," he said to the empty room.

There was a shimmer in the air, and then another King Baltra stepped into the room. Elizabeth's hand flew to her mouth to stop herself from crying out. "You took too long," the new king said. "I hate all this waiting."

"I did nothing but wait when we first began," the other answered with scorn. "Our plan is almost completed, and then we'll both be able to do what we want."

"Fine," said the second. "But I'm going now to stretch my legs a bit. I'll bring back an update soon." The other nodded and the king swept out of the room.

Elizabeth sat back, pressing the back of her head against the wall, trying to process what she just saw. This was impossible! Their looks, their voices, even their walks—it was more than just a clever fake. Her stomach flipped, wondering when the charade had started; and how long her father, her dear, kind father, had been imprisoned just a few feet away from them all.

She crept back towards the broken wall and reached inside, grasping the king's hand. "Father," she whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here."

The king coughed, and she flinched at how harsh it sounded. "You must go, Elizabeth," he urged her. "Get somewhere safe. These—these creatures—"

"I'm not leaving you here," she insisted. She turned and looked at the prince. "Will you help me?"

Lucius stole a quick glance at the door before nodding. "Who are they?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "We'll figure that out later. For now, we need to get him out of here." She listened for a moment and then peered out the door, finding the room empty. They worked quickly and quietly together to pull a few more boards away. Finally, there was an opening large enough for her to slip inside. She fell to her knees beside him and caught the king up in a hug, burying her face against his shoulder. "Father, I'm so, so sorry," she wept.

"My dear Ellie," he whispered, stroking her hair.

They held each other, the only sounds being the king's labored breathing and Elizabeth's soft sobs. After a few moments, she pulled back and looked at him closely. He felt very thin in her arms, and his body and hair were streaked with dirt. She took him gently by the arm and helped him stand, leading him unsteadily through the opening they had made and into the small room. Prince Lucius took his other arm and helped him gain his footing.

The princess moved to the door to check that the study was still empty, and then turned and said over her shoulder, "It looks like they are both gone. I'm going to check if the hallway is clear. Stay here."

Lucius grabbed her arm. "What if you get caught?"

"Then wait until it's safe and take him with you." She looked at him with intent, pleading eyes. "Promise me you won't leave my father." Her voice wavered slightly and she bit her lip.

The prince swallowed and nodded. "I'll protect him, but maybe I should go first."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I know the castle better than you do. I can get myself away easily, draw the guards away if I must. Just keep him safe."

Quietly she slid out the door. With a quick sweep with her eyes, she crept through the quiet room. She was nearly there when a voice caused her to start. "Ellie dear, is that you?"

She whirled and faced one of the false kings. Her mouth and eyes opened in surprise. The likeness was uncanny; she would have never guessed the truth had she not discovered her father hidden away. The king lifted his chin like he was wont to do and said, "What were you doing in here?"

Elizabeth clenched her fists and said, "You are _not_ my father."

The accusation hung heavy in the air before he smiled his familiar smile. "Don't be ridiculous, Ellie. Of course I—"

"You are _not_!" she cried. "I demand to know who you are!"

"Come sit down, Ellie. You are delirious."

He took a step towards her, his arm outstretched, beckoning her over. Elizabeth stepped backwards. "Don't come near me." He took another step forward, and she moved back again. "You won't get away with this!"

The king tilted his head a bit. "Are you going to stop me, princess?"

It was the same cruel tone he had used with her before. "I will!" she insisted. "I'll do whatever I have to! The Holy Knights—"

"The Holy Knights answer to me now," he grinned. "I am the new Grand Master."

Elizabeth lifted her chin. "The Seven Deadly Sins will stop you."

"The Seven Deadly Sins? And where are they now?" Elizabeth sucked in a breath. She tried to think of an answer, but had none. She had lost Diane. King had left her. And Meliodas… Elizabeth shook her head as her heart seized up, willing herself not to cry.

There was a charged silence in the room, and then the king lunged at her. He reached out and nearly grabbed her, but Elizabeth jumped back, turning and flinging open the door. She took off down the hallway, the king bellowing behind her, "Guards! Get my daughter and bring her here!"

There were footsteps running towards the hallway, so Elizabeth ducked into an alcove and around the staircase, running up the steps as fast as she could. Shouts came from below, but up she climbed, racing as fast as she could. Her heart pounded and her lungs burned as she turned and headed down another hallway, crashing headfirst into someone.

She let out a shout and stumbled backwards, pushing hard against the arms that reached out to grip her. "No!" she screamed.

"Princess?" Elizabeth stopped struggling and looked up, sagging in relief. "Princess, I found you!"

"Sir Howzer!" she cried.

He steadied her with one hand. "Why are you running?"

"We have to go now!" Elizabeth looked around frantically. "The king is coming—he sent soldiers after me—but it's not the king at all—"

"Princess," the Holy Knight said firmly. "You're not making any sense."

"There you are!" King Baltra's voice shouted from behind her. Elizabeth gasped and backed into Howzer, who laid a protective hand on her arm. She looked up at him and was surprised to see him scowl as the king approached. He did not give a bow.

"Hand her over now," the king commanded. Elizabeth sucked in a breath as Howzer's hand went to the hilt of his lance. "I'll return her to her room, Sir," the knight responded cautiously.

The king narrowed his eyes. "You were there when my other daughter tried to name that traitor Grand Master." His hand went to his own sword. "I will dispatch with you as easily as I did the other one."

"Go!" Howzer shouted, giving the princess a shove. She took off down the hallway, sparing only a brief glance over her shoulder. Both men had drawn their weapons; but to her shock, the king's had an unnatural glow surrounding it. She rounded a corner as the sound of metal on metal clashed.

There was another staircase ahead. _Up or down?_ she thought briefly. Suddenly, there was a great blast from the way she had just come, and the floors and walls shook. Elizabeth gripped the wall to steady herself, praying that Howzer was all right. She was about to turn around to find out when another crash rocked the castle.

More shouting came from below, so Elizabeth decided to climb. This set of steps was much rougher, as she was beginning to reach the very top of the east wing of the castle. Eventually she came out onto a parapet. The sun was setting, and she held a hand up to shield her eyes from the light burning orange, low in the horizon. To her left was the corner tower, with more stairs leading inside; to the right, a walkway leading towards the keep. Carefully she stepped towards the wall and peered over. There was a terrible drop on the other side. She could see the tops of the buildings far below, and Elizabeth had to shut her eyes for a moment to clear her swimming head.

The wind whipped along the walk, and her hair flew out behind her. She pressed herself against the stone, unsure of what to do next. Her fear was threatening to take over her mind, and she slowly breathed in and out to steady herself. Elizabeth thought briefly about the day Hendrickson had been defeated. _You need to be strong, like that day_ , she thought. She had gone with him willingly, wanting to do anything to save Meliodas.

 _Meliodas…_ She had not been nearly as afraid then as she was now—even knowing that Hendrickson wanted her dead—because she knew deep down that he would come for her. And he had, then. Hot tears stung in her eyes and she angrily swiped them away.

A voice shouted her name. Elizabeth jumped up and looked around for a way to get out of sight, and fast. She knew there would be more soldiers in the keep, so she ran for the tower. Up more stairs she went, her legs and lungs burning, until she reached the turret. No more than a small round room at the top of the tower, it was surrounded by a low stone wall that came up only chest-high, perfect for archers to hide behind. There was no other way out except for the steps she had just used.

Now she was really trapped. Someone was coming up the steps, and Elizabeth pressed herself back into the quickly deepening shadows. Hoping it was Howzer coming to find her, her stomach sank like a stone when the king appeared at the top of the stairs. His eyes swept the turret before landing on her.

"Elizabeth," he said, his voice unrecognizable. There was a coldness there she would have never imagined possible. "You must learn not to run away when your father is speaking to you."

"You are _not_ my father," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "I saw him; I know what you did to him." Her voice raised in pitch as she cried, "How long have you kept him boarded up like that? How long have you been ruling in his place?"

The king smiled. "Long enough to start Liones on the path to chaos," he answered.

"But why? What has Liones done to you? My father has never willingly hurt anyone!"

"Don't you understand yet, princess?" he laughed. "We don't need a reason. Your father brought us here, and in return, we bring chaos."

Elizabeth shook her head, her breath catching in her throat. What could that possibly mean? "You won't get away with this—" she began before the imposter cut her off.

"You've told me that already. And yet, here you are, alone."

Elizabeth swallowed around the lump in her throat as he advanced on her. She decided to try to slip by him, but he saw her play and proved too quick. He caught her by the upper arm, pulling her towards the wall of the turret. "We hadn't planned on hurting you," he said, his grin still planted on his face. "But the untimely death of the princess, at the hands of the Holy Knights who swore to protect her, will bring a new level of turmoil to the kingdom."

She cried out then as they reached the edge and he pressed her against the top of the wall. "It's nothing personal, princess," he said pleasantly. "We all must do what we are put here to do." Then he pushed her, and she fell over the edge.

Elizabeth screamed as she plummeted through the air, her arms reaching to grab anything to stop her descent. The wind swallowed her, and Elizabeth closed her eyes, crying out as she waited to feel her body slam into the ground.

Suddenly, her body changed course, as she slammed into something that in turn collided with something else. Her skull seemed to rattle in her head, and then the wind was rushing again, but this time, there was something to grab on to. Her hands found cloth, and she gripped it with all her strength, pulling it towards her as she clung for her life.

All at once, she stopped. She didn't breathe for a moment, wondering if she was dead. Her hands still gripped whatever had slammed into her, and she discovered she had pressed her face against something solid and warm. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and realized she was on the ground. She could hear someone talking, but her ears were ringing and her heart still thudding in her chest.

She looked up to see what it was that had saved her, and as her vision cleared she saw an anxious face peering back at her. "Elizabeth? Are you all right?"

"Meliodas," she gasped. Elizabeth's body began to shake, and she clung to him desperately. She let out a sob as she searched his face, still wondering if this was real. His arms gripped her tightly as her trembling increased. "Is it really you?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her up against him. He pressed the side of his face against hers. "I didn't know. But you're safe now."

The shock of being pushed and then saved suddenly overwhelmed her. "Meliodas," she whispered again, before fainting in his arms.


	11. Crash Landing

**Crash Landing**

Meliodas' body tensed as it moved through space. Teleportation only took a few seconds to work, but without knowing if Elizabeth was safe, it was still too long.

When he materialized, he immediately looked around. He was on a street in Liones, the wall of the castle straight ahead. There was no sign of the princess.

 _Damn it, Merlin_ , he thought, clenching his fists, when a shout caught his attention. He looked up and saw a figure standing on a tower, hundreds of feet over his head. Meliodas narrowed his eyes, focusing his vision—and then his eyes widened when he realized it was Elizabeth.

He backed up a bit, trying to assess what was happening, when the figure fell. "Elizabeth!" he shouted. All at once he was moving, using every ounce of his strength to jump. Meliodas caught her halfway, and as he gripped her tightly, he turned his body to protect her as they hit the castle wall. Elizabeth cried out and gripped his shirt, her fingers digging into him, as the stone broke apart and rained down around them. Meliodas planted his feet into the wall for a moment and jumped, landing on the ground moments later.

Meliodas quickly dropped to his knees and cradled the princess against him, looking her over for injuries. "Elizabeth," he said. "Elizabeth, are you hurt?" She didn't answer at first. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she still held onto him with a grip so hard her knuckles were turning white. He shook her gently. "Come on, I need you to say something." He placed a hand on her forehead and felt her trembling. "Elizabeth? Are you all right?"

Slowly, she lifted her head, opening her eyes. She blinked and looked around, finally meeting his anxious gaze. "Meliodas?" she gasped, and he was filled with a huge wave of relief. His heart thudded in his chest, and he sucked in a huge breath, finally able to breathe.

Elizabeth began to shake. He gripped her firmly as she trembled, tightening his mouth in concern. She gave a sob that made his chest constrict and said, "Is it really you?"

He pulled her up against him, pressing her against his chest and his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered furiously. And he was furious: at Diane for leaving her; at Gowther for stealing his coin; at Ban for giving him the idea. He would be soon turning his wrath on whoever had forced her up on that tower and sent her over the edge. But most of all, he was angry with himself for letting her go in the first place.

Meliodas gritted his teeth. "I didn't know," he said. "But you are safe now." He would make sure of that. She was not going to leave his side again.

Suddenly her trembling increased, and he looked down at her again. She whispered his name and then went limp in his arms. Elizabeth's eyes slid closed. "Elizabeth?" he said again, but he realized she had fainted.

He glanced up and saw a figure leaning over, looking down at them. Meliodas squinted his eyes. He thought for a moment that is was King Baltra, but that was impossible. His senses told him it was a completely different energy—one he had never encountered before. But the glimpse he got before whoever it was disappeared had looked exactly like the old king.

Meliodas stood and lifted Elizabeth in his arms. He knew he couldn't stay there in the open with her. He jogged down the street, carrying her, before turning a corner. Jericho had told them the Holy Knights were using the South Tower as a base of operations. He figured that until the rest of the Sins arrived, it was his best shot at getting some help, and maybe some answers. He moved like a flash, carrying the princess carefully.

The South Tower was nearly completely deserted. He could hear noise coming from the direction of the city wall, along with a concentration of power. Meliodas assumed they were all there, dealing with the attack Diane had mentioned. He stalked through the yard towards the entrance of the building. A handful of knights were there, on guard, and one of them shouted at him to stop. He ignored them and continued until one stepped to block his way. "Move," he said without slowing down.

He heard one shout, "Is—is that the Dragon Sin?" and the one in his way started. "Are you the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins?" he called.

Meliodas didn't answer, and simply walked around him. The knight's eyes grew wide as he spotted the unconscious princess in his arms, and turned to follow him. "Are you here for Sir Gilthunder? Because he is—"

Meliodas pulled up short. "Gilthunder is here? Where?"

"Is—is that—Princess Eliza—"

"Where is Gilthunder?" Meliodas growled. He glared over his shoulder at the knight.

"There—in there—" The knight pointed to a door inside, and Meliodas took off without another word.

He pushed the door opened and stepped inside. Sure enough, Gilthunder was inside, bandages covering half of his torso. He was standing with Princess Margaret, and it looked as though they were arguing.

Both of them whirled around at the intrusion. "What are you doing—" Margaret started angrily, but then she caught sight of her sister. "Elizabeth!" she cried, running over, and placing her hands on the girl's sleeping face. She glared at Meliodas with fresh tears in her eyes. "What did you do?" she hissed at him.

"She fell from a tower," he answered through gritted teeth. Meliodas stepped around the princess and carried Elizabeth to a bench, laying her down. Margaret followed, pushing Meliodas to the side so she could examine Elizabeth. "Is she…?"

"She fainted," Meliodas answered. "I don't think she's hurt otherwise."

Margaret gave him another dark look before fussing over her sister. Meliodas stepped back and turned to Gilthunder. "What happened to you?"

Gilthunder shook his head. "You won't believe me if I told you." Meliodas raised his eyebrows and he went on, "King Baltra. He has some kind of power now—I don't know if it's demon power, or something else. He named himself Grand Master, and…" Gilthunder gestured to his injuries. "I objected."

Meliodas furrowed his brow. He had thought his eyes had been playing tricks on him, but perhaps that _was_ Baltra on the tower when Elizabeth fell. "This doesn't make any sense," he muttered.

Elizabeth started to stir. He moved towards her, but Margaret turned and blocked his way. "Leave her alone," she cried. "Haven't you done enough?"

"Margaret!" Gilthunder exclaimed. "Meliodas is the reason why any of us are here."

"And I am grateful for what he has done for us," she said, struggling to replace her mask of composure. She looked at him critically. "This is the second time my sister has been brought back to the castle injured after being with you."

Meliodas met her cold gaze, not bothering to offer an explanation. The princess was right, of course. There was a flash of heat under his skin as he heard Elizabeth say his name.

Margaret turned and took her by the hand. "Ellie dear, it's me, Margaret."

"Margaret?" Meliodas watched as Elizabeth turned her head to look around. "Where is Meliodas?" The princess sat up cautiously as Margaret placed her hands on her shoulders. "Ellie, don't worry. You're safe now."

"Sir Meliodas?" Elizabeth sat up and looked over her sister's shoulder. Meliodas locked eyes with her and couldn't help but smile. She gave him a soft smile back. "What happened?"

She reached her hand out towards him, and he found himself moving in an instant. He gripped her hand in both of his and said, "I was hoping you'd tell me. Do you remember being on the tower?"

Elizabeth frowned in thought as Margaret sat next to her. She gave Meliodas a warning look, but he ignored her, peering into Elizabeth's face. "Yes," she breathed, and looked up at him in alarm. "My father—he was locked away! We found him, all boarded up in his study. There have been two kings, false kings, and they—we need to go back there!"

She went to stand, but both Margaret and Meliodas pressed her to sit. "Ellie, you're not making any sense," the princess said worriedly.

Elizabeth grabbed Meliodas by the arms. "We have to go and find my father. Please. He is in danger."

Meliodas let out a breath. "Where?"

"His study. The east wing."

"Can you stand?" Elizabeth nodded and he helped her tentatively to her feet.

"No!" Margaret protested. "Elizabeth, you're not going anywhere. You need to—"

"I'm not leaving her," Meliodas said, cutting her off. "Don't try to stop us."

Margaret sucked in a breath and looked at Gilthunder. "I'm coming with you," he said, looking away from the princess' shocked expression.

"Let's go, then," said Meliodas, and together the three of them left.

.o0o.

Jericho stood on the balcony, watching the lights from the capital get closer. She gripped the railing tightly, still getting used to riding on the back of Mama Hawk. Merlin had given the giant boar something that made her go three times as fast as normal, and as they speeded towards the city, Jericho felt her nerves grow.

Traveling with the Seven Deadly Sins for the past few days had been more than interesting. They were some of the most powerful beings in Britannia, and she had expected the group to be, well, an elite force. Instead, it was more like a circus running a tavern. None of them seemed to take anything seriously, and to Jericho—who took everything seriously—it was incredibly frustrating.

"Hey!" Jericho looked down and saw Ban leaning out of the second floor window. "Have you seen that other barrel of the Bernia? I can't figure out where Captain—"

"Are you serious?" she shouted. "We're going to be at the capital soon, and you're drinking? Now?"

Ban laughed. "Sounds to me like there's no better time to drink. The capital can be a real drag."

Jericho fumed as he popped back inside the tavern. Her hands clenched around the wooden railing. If she had half—no, a tenth of Ban's power, she wouldn't be just wasting it like he did. She didn't know what infuriated her more: the fact that he didn't care, or that she cared so much.

"Jericho!" Diane trotted up and started walking backwards, swinging her axe over her shoulder. Jericho tried to hide her scowl as the giantess smiled at her. Here was another example. Diane had incredible strength, and the ability to actually reshape the earth—but she was just… silly. Jericho shuddered internally. She could not stand silly girls.

"Can you see anything?" the Serpent Sin called.

"Probably exactly what you can see," Jericho mumbled.

"Oh yeah!" Diane laughed, and Jericho turned and climbed back inside. Frustrated, she headed down the steps to the main room. The other four Sins were there, each doing the same thing they always did: Ban had found his ale, King was snoozing, Gowther was reading, and Merlin was looking at her orb.

"So do we have some kind of strategy?" she asked the room. No one looked up, but Merlin responded, "A strategy?"

"Yeah. You know, a plan." She put her hands on her hips and looked around. "Liones was attacked by another country, and according to Diane, there's a battle going on right now. What exactly are we going to do when we get there?"

Ban wiped his mouth with his hand. "Same thing we always do."

Jericho gritted her teeth. "Which is what, exactly?"

There was a pause, and then Ban burst out laughing. "Whatever the hell we want to do!" Jericho huffed as he laughed, and she heard Merlin give a chuckle. "Don't worry so much, Jericho," Merlin chided her.

"I just think it would be a good idea to have some kind of plan." She turned to the sleeping fairy. "King? Don't you agree?"

King yawned. "We'll just do whatever when we get there," he answered, not bothering to open his eyes.

Completely annoyed now, Jericho went to the window, looking out silently as the others returned to their own activities. Less than an hour later, the wall of the city was visible. So was the giant hole that was now there, courtesy of the battle. "Look!" Jericho cried. She ran out of the tavern and across Mama Hawk's head, holding her hands out to steady herself. The others joined her moments later.

"Looks like the Marakians broke through," King said.

"Unless it was Liones' Holy Knights," Merlin observed.

Jericho looked at her with a scowl. "Why would the Holy Knights destroy their own city?" Merlin didn't answer, keeping her own counsel.

"Now can we decide what to do?" Jericho said, but then shouting came from the direction in which they were headed. "Um, does anyone know how to stop this thing?"

She looked behind her as the Sins all looked at each other, all of them coming to the same realization at once. "Hawk's mom!" King shouted, jumping over to yell in the pig's ear, as Ban made a beeline back to the tavern, yelling, "Master! Get out here!"

"What do we do?" Jericho yelled wildly, looking at Merlin. There was a pause as the mage pursed her lips in thought. Finally, she said, "Gowther, can you please see if you can tell Mama Hawk to stop?"

Gowther raised a hand and made a swipe, but it was too late; the giant pig had reached the city walls, and went crashing through the stone, widening the already huge hole that was there. The impact thankfully made the pig stop, but it also sent everyone on the ground scattering in all directions, and the group riding on top went flying. Jericho shouted as she flew through the air, covering her head and bracing herself to slam into the ground.

She suddenly stopped short and looked up. Ban had grabbed her by the shirt and was holding her up as he expertly touched down on the ground. "Let me down!" she screamed furiously, and for the second time since she had stumbled on them, he dropped her in a heap.

"Relax, Jellyroll," he said. "Didn't I tell ya we'd think of something?"

Jericho screamed in frustration as she scrambled to her feet. The others were moving together, gathering around Mama Hawk, who was happily digging into the ground to rest. Diane ran up and crouched on the ground. "Is everyone all right?"

"I suppose we should find the Captain," Merlin said. She turned to Diane. "Which way?"

"I think—" The giantess stopped short and exclaimed, "Look! It's the king!"

They all turned and looked. Sure enough, it was King Baltra, slowly walking towards them with a large group of Holy Knights behind.

"Yo! Baltra!" Ban called. Merlin shot him a look and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, you're looking better than ever. We're sorry about the mess—"

"You must be the Seven Deadly Sins," the king said. They all exchanged a glance. "Interesting, I only see five here." He narrowed his gaze on Jericho. "And one little apprentice."

"Your Majesty—" King began, but Baltra went on, "Have you come to attack Liones too? Marakia tried the same thing, and we annihilated them easily. Now you'll meet the same fate."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ban shouted.

The king gave a smile. "It seems as though Liones' enemies believe that she is vulnerable without a Grand Master. But you are mistaken, because I am now the Great Holy Knight." He drew his sword, and at once it was on fire, burning brightly in the fading light of the evening.

"What…?" King gasped. "What is this?"

"This is not the king," Gowther observed.

"Yeah, no kidding," King muttered. The king, or whoever it was, stalked forward. "What do we do?"

"The same thing we always do," Ban laughed. Jericho turned in surprise, but they had already moved. The Sins pressed forward as the knights advanced on them.


	12. Chaos Continued

**A/N:** One month later, after the worst block I've ever had, I have one word: FINALLY!

Thank you so much for reading! :D

.o0o.

 **Chaos Continued**

Meliodas quickly followed Gilthunder out of the South Tower, maintaining a hand on Elizabeth to keep her steady. They moved back into the courtyard and Meliodas said, "Can you get us there fast?"

Gilthunder nodded, but before he could raise his sword, there was a shout. He turned and saw Margaret rushing towards them, and unable to help himself, he stepped towards her. "Your Highness," he said, "stay here. The Holy Knights will keep you safe."

"What are you doing?" she hissed at him angrily. She _hated_ it when he used a formal title with her. "You aren't healed yet! And the king _banished_ you—you're not even allowed to be in the city—"

"I'm doing my duty," he said in a low tone. "To the king and to Liones."

The princess shook her head forcefully, reaching out and gripping his arms. "You are always putting your duty ahead of yourself! Just please, stay here—"

"You'll be safe here, Margaret," he answered firmly, pulling away. He turned as she protested and walked with long strides back to where Meliodas and Elizabeth were waiting. Without another word, he lifted his sword. A bolt of lightning shot to the ground, and a moment later, they were gone.

Margaret inhaled sharply. The knights left to guard approached, but she ignored their inquiries. She could only see Gilthunder's body on the ground: bleeding after being run through by Hendrickson; dying after the Dark Nebula attack; collapsing on her own father's sword.

She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her hands into fists as she tried to shake the image away. There was another huge explosion from the city's walls, but she stood there motionless until she heard one of the knights yell, "The Seven Deadly Sins are attacking the city!"

Her eyes flew open and she turned and shouted, taking the knights by surprise. "The Seven Deadly Sins? Here in Liones?"

"Y-yes," one stammered. "The king is there now—"

"Get every knight left," she said coldly, "and head to the castle. Meliodas, the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, is on his way there. Arrest him and Princess Elizabeth for treason." They stood in shock until she shouted, "Go! Now!"

The knights scrambled away, calling for the others, and she slowly made her way back into the tower. She had known not to trust them; she could not trust anyone. Not even her own sister.

.o0o.

The king gave a signal, and the Holy Knights advanced. The Sins were soon surrounded five-to-one. Jericho quickly became breathless fighting off one attack after another. She was purely in defensive mode, having not even a moment to try her own offensive strike.

She saw King send Chastiefol flying at two Holy Knights, who dodged the spear as they sent their own combination attack after him. To her right, Diane called her own commands, sending the ground itself flying as the Holy Knights scrambled out of the way. To her left, Merlin sent bursts of magic in every direction, keeping the knights from advancing. Her speed was an amazing sight, and Jericho could hardly track her movements. Gowther sent out a blinding arrow at a group coming through the middle, and then moved to calmly stand over them as they stopped, immobile.

Jericho blocked a magic attack and stumbled backwards. The Sins were having little trouble keeping the knights at bay, but she was quickly realizing she was becoming overwhelmed. Each time she avoided one strike, another was waiting, and she was shaky and breathless from the effort of keeping herself alive.

A Holy Knight came from her side and swung a broadsword at her. She shouted in anger and dodged it, thrusting her own lance at the knight. He blocked her, but Jericho felt a welcome rush of adrenaline. Her frustration from the past few days boiled over and she poured her anger into her attack, finally sending the knight to the ground with a crash.

"Ha!" she shouted, turning to take on the next, but drew up short. A few yards away, Ban took out a Holy Knight with a furious punch, pausing only a moment to flex his fist. Then he shouted, "Baltra! Come fight yourself!"

"Ban!" she yelled, swiping at a knight who had stepped between them. The knight jumped to avoid her weapon and she used the opportunity to sprint towards the Fox Sin. "You can't! He's the king!"

"Back off, Jericho," he growled. He swung his staff, slowly stalking towards where the king stood. Baltra held his sword tightly in his hand, the bright flames flashing as he twisted his wrist. He had a small smile on his face, which was otherwise stone.

Ban leapt forward, bringing his weapon down over his shoulder to strike at the king. Baltra brought his own sword up to stop him, and there was a roar as they crashed together. Jericho was knocked over by the immense wave of energy, and as she coughed and looked up, she saw them locked together.

"Ban! No!" More shouts came, and Merlin threw up a barrier against an attack heading towards her. She and King both moved towards Ban, and with a flick of his hand, King sent the Guardian barreling towards them. Ban leapt out of the way, and the Guardian jumped on top of the king, pinning him to the ground.

"What were you thinking?" yelled King as he flew at him. "You can't fight the king!"

Ban's arm went out in a flash, his staff sending King flying backwards. He turned back to Baltra and stopped short as Merlin stepped in between them. "Are we doing this now?" Ban chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"King is right," Merlin said evenly. "Until we know what is going on, you can't harm him."

"Like hell." Ban's staff snapped again, but Merlin's hand shot out and caught it before the stroke fell. Ban heaved hard on the weapon, pulling the mage off balance so he could swing her away from his target.

He turned around and yelled, "Don't tell me—" He was cut off as the king's sword sliced through his chest. Dark flames flared outwards from the blade as Ban coughed up blood. Jericho screamed in surprise. "Your Majesty! No!"

"This is—joke—" Ban gasped for oxygen as the king pulled his blade slowly out of the Sin's body. Then he fell to the ground as blood pooled underneath him.

The Guardian, having been tossed to the side, returned to its first form and swiveled to King's side. "Your Majesty… why?" King asked. He balled his fists and floated upward.

"This isn't the king," Gowther said. The rest looked at each other in surprise as Baltra stepped over Ban's body. "It's only half King Baltra."

"Half?" Jericho cried. "What does that mean?"

No one had the chance to answer, because Baltra swiped his sword, sending the black flame flying towards them. The Sins jumped out of the way, and Jericho shouted as she was snatched into the air by Diane. "Watch out, Jericho!" Diane yelled.

Some of the other Holy Knights caught the blast from the flame, and there was sudden confusion as smoke and debris flew everywhere. Diane and King went back on the defensive as the knights redoubled their efforts, not realizing it was the king who had attacked them. Jericho moved to go to Ban, and came face-to-face with the smiling Baltra.

"You are not a Sin," he said pleasantly, thrusting his sword forward. She yelped and jumped, narrowly escaping the sharp edge. However, the flames caught her arm as she spun, and Jericho fell to the ground with a scream. The pain licked up through her shoulder, and she clutched her arm to her chest in agony.

Merlin stepped next to her and put out her hand. "Your Majesty—" she called tightly, sending another barrier up to block herself and Jericho from another swing. The flames danced across the invisible wall, and Baltra growled, "Do you really think this will stop me?"

"Gowther!" she shouted. Darts of light flew through the air as he called, "Gatling Jack," piercing the Holy Knights still standing. Everything became still for a moment as the knights froze in place. Ban began climbing to his feet as the rest of the Sins moved to advance.

Gowther kept his arm outstretched as he pointed his other hand at Baltra. He began to call Searchlight, but the king stepped forward and severed his arm off. "Get back," he growled, raising his sword to cleave into Gowther.

Jericho watched through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth as the others called to him to stop. But then the king froze, blood exploding out from him. The blade of a Holy Knight's sword burst through his chest, and after a suspended moment, Baltra fell forward in a crumpled heap, the flame from his own weapon suddenly snuffed out.

Behind him, Ban pulled the sword out of the king's body and tossed it to the side. He looked up at his shocked teammates and shrugged. "He started it."

.o0o.

Elizabeth was grateful for Meliodas' firm hand on her. Her head swam with the powerful force of magic used to propel them into the castle. With a flash of light they arrived, and she stumbled into Meliodas. She gripped his shoulders to steady herself as his hands grabbed at her hips. "Are you all right?" he asked her sharply.

She nodded, and after a moment, moved to stand on her own. They were back in the east wing. Elizabeth moved away from Meliodas' hands and walked quickly towards the study where she had left her father with Prince Lucius. She burst through the door and found the room empty. She ran to the door of the anteroom, swinging it open to check inside. There was no sign of her father or the prince.

Elizabeth returned to the study to find Meliodas and Gilthunder waiting. "They kept him—my father—in here…" Her voice trailed off as she fought back a sob. "We have to find him."

"What are you talking about?" Gilthunder pressed. "Who has been ruling Liones, if it wasn't your father, the king?"

"I don't know," she whispered, and Meliodas strode forward. He took her by the hand and said, "We'll find him, I promise. "

Elizabeth nodded and they returned to the corridor. "Which way?" Meliodas asked.

She looked around, trying to remember where she went. She had run in such a panic, she didn't know which turns or which stairs she took. Frustrated with herself, she led them hesitantly through past one room after another. The castle was growing darker with the steadily approaching evening, and the hallways were eerily quiet, empty of soldiers and servants.

"We're going in circles," Gilthunder finally said after climbing another silent staircase. "Perhaps we should split up."

"I won't leave Elizabeth," Meliodas said, but Elizabeth gasped and hurried ahead. They followed her on her heels until they came upon Howzer, leaning against the wall, unmoving. His face was drawn and he held a hand to a dark wound in his shoulder. Elizabeth fell to her knees next to him, tilting his head towards her with gentle hands. "Sir Howzer," she called softly. "Can you hear me?"

"Princess?" He opened his eyes, and they landed on each of the three, bright with pain. "The king… his sword, it was made of flames."

Gilthunder pursed his lips and nodded. "It's what he used on me, too. How can the king have such dark power?"

No one answered. The men watched Elizabeth pull the brace from his shoulder. Howzer winced as the armor was removed, letting out a deep breath as he steadied himself. The princess gently placed her hands over the wound, gasping when she felt the burning heat emanating from it. She closed her eyes and poured her energy forward, wishing him to be healed.

After a long moment, Gilthunder turned to Meliodas and said quietly, "How could there be an imposter and no one know? Merlin herself was here and did not suspect." The captain did not answer, keeping his eyes focused solely on Elizabeth as she worked. Realizing he was not getting an answer, the Holy Knight muttered, "How can we defeat an enemy when we don't even know what it is?"

Elizabeth blocked out the whispers behind her and focused on the wound under her hands. It burned to the touch, and she had to grit her teeth against the heat and the scorching sensations. She was still unsure in her ability, so she simply _wanted_ him healed, imagining the burn disappearing as the cut stitched closed. When she had done this before, she had always felt the body responding, and a surge of energy that seemed to move up her spine and down her arms. But this time, the wound resisted. It felt as though her power was being poured through a sieve, only a small portion of it filtering through to Howzer.

She opened her eyes and sat back. Howzer's face looked a bit calmer, and the bleeding had stopped. But there was still a terrible scorch mark on his chest, and the gash had only closed a fraction. She looked down at her bloody hands, clenching them into fists. "This isn't working," she said sadly. Elizabeth's eyes met Howzer's, whose had finally opened. "I'm so sorry," she breathed, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You saved me and I—"

"Stop right there!" They all turned at the shout, and a band of Holy Knights surrounded them, weapons drawn. "You are all under arrest!"

"By whose authority?" Gilthunder asked incredulously.

"Princess Margaret," the leader answered. Gilthunder immediately tensed, but Meliodas said nonchalantly, "Guys, this really isn't a good time."

"You're under arrest for treason, Meliodas of the Seven Deadly Sins. You and Princess Elizabeth."

Meliodas sighed. "Yeah, I don't think so." The knight stepped forward, and so did he. Meliodas easily avoided a swing and grabbed him by the arm, bowling him over despite being half his size. With the leader pinned to the floor, Meliodas regarded the rest of them easily. "Like I said, this isn't a good time."

"Go!" the leader shouted, his voice muffled by the floor. The rest of the knights advanced, and for a moment Gilthunder and Meliodas were set upon by all of them at once. Elizabeth turned frantically back to Howzer. "Can you stand?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, instead grabbing him by the arm and hauling him up with all of her might. She pulled the groaning knight away, slipping down the hallway away from the fray. "Elizabeth! Wait!" Meliodas called after her, but she ignored his shout and pushed Howzer ahead. There was a small staircase that only the servants used, obscured in the wall, and she dragged him down the stairs, both of them stumbling in the darkness. When they reached the bottom, she continued to press him forward, until they reached a small opening.

Together they toppled into the throne room, Howzer collapsing on hands and knees on the floor. Elizabeth crouched over him, but immediately looked up as she heard footsteps echo in the room.

The false king was crossing the room towards them, and Elizabeth scrambled up, standing in front of Howzer. She trembled slightly but remained resolute as she shouted, "Don't come any closer!"

He laughed and shook his head. "You are truly something, princess. How in the world did you survive that fall?"

"Where is my father?" she demanded. He turned and swept his hand behind him, and Elizabeth followed with her gaze. On the floor, unconscious, were both Baltra and Lucius.

"No!" she cried, taking a step forward, then hesitating. Elizabeth looked back at the false king, her shoulders shaking as she tried to steady her breathing. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you, my dear," he answered pleasantly. "We all must do what we are put here to do. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And what were you put here to do?" came a voice behind her. Elizabeth sagged in relief, turning to see Meliodas stepping through the doorway. He walked in a curved arc, circling along the wall of the room. "It looks to me as though you only came here to cause trouble."

The king regarded him without moving. For the first time, it seemed to Elizabeth as though his smile had faltered. "This world is proving even more interesting than we had imagined," he finally said.

Meliodas frowned. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Surely _you_ must understand," he huffed.

"Sorry, can't help you." Meliodas put one hand behind his back, as the other drew his sword slowly outward. "Have we talked enough, or are you ready to surrender?"

The king laughed, causing a shudder to go up Elizabeth's back. "How about if I give you a choice, instead?" He drew his own sword, the flames instantly bursting to life. "You can have me, or the princess."

He flung his arm out, and the flame shot forwards towards Elizabeth. Before she could even scream, Meliodas was there in an instant, pushing her out of the way and preparing to use Full Counter.

But the flame snapped back, and Meliodas jerked back as well, drawing his power back in to return to him. The king spun his head, a cry of agony escaping him. Elizabeth had fallen to her knees with Meliodas' push, and she looked up in horror, covering her ears with her hands at the awful sound. _"Brother!"_ he wailed.

Meliodas moved forward to strike, but his blade pierced nothing. The false king was gone.


	13. Back to the Beginning

**Back to the Beginning**

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably before opening her eyes. She winced at the stiffness in her neck and slowly sat up from the slouched position in her chair. Looking at the light in the room, she suspected it to be mid-morning. The last thing she remembered was the sunlight beginning to peek through the window… she assumed that she must have dozed off.

She stretched and stifled a yawn before turning to check on her father—and jumped in surprise to see Meliodas perched on the edge of the bed. "Hey there, Elizabeth," he said cheerily.

"Sir Meliodas!" She sat up quickly, swiping a hand over her face and then back to smooth her hair. "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?" Elizabeth moved to stand next to the bed where her father lay, and placed a hand on his forehead.

"I just thought I'd come to check on things." He frowned. "It's been three days. Have you had a decent sleep, other than napping in that chair?"

Elizabeth spared a glance back at the wooden chair she had been using at the king's bedside. "It's all right. I'm really not that—" she paused to yawn "—tired, really."

Meliodas nodded. "I can see. Any change at least?" He sidled up next to the princess, who was readjusting the blanket around the king.

"No," she said sadly. "I tried my healing on him, but he's not hurt. Just exhausted and malnourished, the doctor said." Elizabeth sighed. "What good is a healing power when you can't heal your own father?"

"Don't worry so much. It'll just take some time." His hand snaked around her back, and Elizabeth stiffened, expecting it to move southward. Instead, he gripped her by the hip, pulling her up against him. "Speaking of which, why don't we go find some breakfast? I also heard you hadn't been taking any regular meals."

Elizabeth shook her head, stepping to the side and out of his hands. "Thank you, Sir Meliodas, but I don't want to leave him. What if he wakes up, and I'm not here?"

Meliodas grinned. "Don't worry, I have that covered. I brought someone to watch him for you."

"I don't know…" she said, unsure, as he went to the door and opened it. Meliodas gestured to someone, but then Elizabeth gave another start as Margaret walked inside. The two sisters regarded each other for a moment before Margaret started forward. "Ellie, I—I'm so—" she stammered as she walked towards her, reaching her arms out.

Elizabeth stiffened, her hands clenching at her sides and her mouth creasing into a thin line. She sidestepped the girl and hurried towards the door. She heard Meliodas tell her they would be back shortly as she slipped into the hallway. Elizabeth paused to wait for him, and when he appeared she took off at a brisk walk. Together they went towards the dining rooms, and the princess only gave a weak nod to the greetings called to her by the people they passed.

Meliodas stopped her as she went to enter. "You should think about forgiving her," he told her.

Elizabeth folded her arms. "She sent Holy Knights after you, and tried to have us both arrested! You could have been hurt fighting them off, or worse!" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but whether they were from anger or exhaustion, Meliodas could not tell.

He shrugged. "It was no big deal. Just think about it, okay?"

She did not answer, so Meliodas opened the door for her. Elizabeth was both delighted and alarmed to see the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins already there, eating. Diane immediately jumped up and rushed over, grasping Elizabeth by the arms and pulling her to the table. "Elizabeth! I'm so happy you are finally out of that room! Here, I saved you a seat."

Hawk bounced up and down on the small bench that had been placed at the table for him. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth is here!" he cried.

Elizabeth found herself pressed into an overstuffed chair as Diane began to heap cakes and fruit onto a plate. "You look like a ghost, Elizabeth! Eat something!"

"Lady Diane—I, I'm fine—" She was cut off by Merlin, who placed a cup in front of her. "Here, princess, have a sip of this," she said with her usual smile.

Elizabeth nodded, reaching for the cup. She didn't really want anything at the moment, but she didn't dare refuse Merlin. She took a little sip and found the drink to be rich and delicious. Elizabeth gave a shiver as it warmed her completely, and she wondered briefly what was actually in it.

She was next distracted by the other side of the table, where Meliodas was scolding Ban and King. "I told you guys to wait for Elizabeth!" He snatched large sweet roll from King's hand and threw it at Ban.

"We were hungryyyyy," Ban sang. He turned to Elizabeth, who froze in his gaze. "Hey, hope your dad's okay. I'm glad I killed the wrong king after all."

" _Ban!"_ both Diane and King screeched at him as Elizabeth's eyes went wide. King leaned over the table and patted Elizabeth's hand. "What he means—" he paused to give Ban a deathly glare "—is that we're glad you're both all right."

"Thank you, Sir King," Elizabeth replied meekly.

"All right, all right, everyone, let's eat!" Meliodas took the seat directly across from Elizabeth. He gave her a huge grin before beginning to scoop food onto his own plate.

Elizabeth looked around at her companions, feeling overwhelmed by the energy and the noise. Diane and King talked excitedly as they both ate, with Merlin interjecting with laughter every so often. Ban and Hawk argued over the last crepe, knocking over their cups onto Meliodas in the process. Every once in a while, someone would shout "Eat something!" at the princess, so she busied herself in spreading honey on a piece of toast. As she nibbled on the sweet bread, she was reminded of the last time they had all eaten breakfast together, on her last morning at the Boar Hat. It was just as rowdy and rambunctious, and it felt like it had been a lifetime ago. Her heart seized a bit and she willed herself not to cry. She had forgotten how wonderful it was to be with all of them. It had been a long time since she had sat in such a happy meal.

She looked to her left and saw Gowther sitting in silence, watching the noisy group. "They are all rather loud, aren't they?" he observed.

Elizabeth stifled a laugh and nodded. "Loud is one way to describe it." She smiled and took another sip of Merlin's delicious drink.

"Loud isn't the exact right word. I should have said raucous." There was a slight pause before he continued, "I've noticed you seem sad, princess." She turned to him and saw that he was watching her curiously. "Sad might not be the exact right word either. But isn't the king alive? The imposter has fled? You should not feel sad."

The princess nodded. "You are right, Sir Gowther. And I am glad that everything worked out. It's just a bit more complicated than that."

Gowther nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer, and turned his attention back to the Sins. "Captain," he said, "how long will the breakfast continue?"

"Until all the scraps are gone, I hope," Hawk squealed.

Meliodas swallowed a huge chunk of bread and shrugged. "I guess we should make some kind of plan. We can't sit around here forever, especially with that imposter king out there somewhere. Ban may have taken care of one of the doubles, but the other one escaped."

"Won't it be easy to find King Baltra?" Diane asked. "It's not as if no one knows who he is."

Meliodas shook his head. "I have a feeling whoever or whatever this is has dropped that disguise and already has another."

"How exactly are we supposed to find something that can look like something else?" King asked. "We don't even know what we're looking for."

Ban nodded in mock agreement. "It could be any of us. It could be you, King!" He pointed a sausage at him. "Is it you? I know it's you!"

"It's not me!" King fumed, and Meliodas held up a hand. "Enough already. We do need some answers, though."

"There was something that Princess Margaret had said," Merlin mused. "About when I took the king to heal in Camelot. I'd like to start there and see what I could find."

"Should we all go?" Diane asked. "Can we leave the city like this, with that thing out there?"

Meliodas frowned. "I think we might need some help. We were lucky this time, and now we have a lot of ground to cover. And King is right, this will be more difficult not knowing what we are looking for." He thought for a moment before continuing, "Merlin should go to Camelot while the rest of us look. It seems like we'll be splitting up again. Just when we all got back together."

"What about the royal family?" King asked. "Should someone stay here?"

"They have the Holy Knights for protection," Meliodas said. "And I think Elizabeth should come with us." He turned towards the princess. "What do you say, Elizabeth? Will you come back to the Boar Hat?"

They all looked to her for her answer, but unfortunately found they would have to wait. Elizabeth was fast asleep.

.o0o.

Margaret sat sadly, watching her father sleep. She had never seen Elizabeth give her such a cold look before, and it completely chilled her.

As she gazed at her father, she thought about how ironic it was that she had no idea the king had been an imposter. Her father had been locked away, only steps away from all of them, and no one was the wiser. Margaret thought of all the times she had eaten a meal with him, or wished him goodnight. She knew there was something wrong, but it scared her just how wrong she had been.

After all, if anyone should have been able to tell that someone was hiding a secret, it was Margaret. She swiped away a tear and leaned forward to take the king's hand. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I've been so angry with you for not knowing about my own enchantment all those years—and now, it turns out, I was more blind than anyone."

The door opened, and Margaret knew immediately who it was without turning around. He had not come to see her in the three days since the false king had vanished; it was the longest he had ever kept away from her. He approached her slowly and Margaret said without looking, "I don't think I can handle another scolding. Elizabeth won't even speak to me, and I don't know how many more times I can apologize. So please, if you are here to tell me I was wrong, you can save yourself the trouble."

"Margaret," Gilthunder said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened at his touch, making him draw his hand away quickly. The tenderness in his voice as he said her name caused her stomach to twist, and fresh tears threatened to spill, blurring her vision. She almost would have rather he did scold her after all, instead of the sweet way he spoke her name.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Then Gilthunder said, very business-like, "I was asked to see if you needed anything. Apparently Elizabeth is taking a rest for a bit."

Margaret shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you. I'm glad my sister is finally resting."

Another silence filled the room. Margaret swallowed, willing herself not to turn around and launch herself into Gilthunder's arms. She knew he would hold her and tell her all the things she wanted to hear, but that would not be fair to him, or enough of a punishment for herself.

"It seems as though the Seven Deadly Sins will be leaving the capital soon," he finally went on. Margaret nodded silently. "I'm going to take my leave as well, Your Highness, if I may," he said softly.

Now Margaret did turn around. "Why?" she whispered. Her heart seized in fear that he was leaving her.

"Prince Lucius needs an escort back to Marakia," Gilthunder explained. "With this thing out there, I want to personally make sure he arrives safely."

They stared at each other, and Margaret imagined a great space suddenly between them; a space that widened in each passing moment. She breathed deeply to keep her voice even. "If you feel that's best," she finally answered.

Gilthunder nodded. He turned to go, but then hesitated. His jaw clenched as he worked out what to say, and Margaret closed her eyes sadly. She steeled herself for this, for his final good-bye, but instead felt his hands grip her arms and pulled her to stand. Her eyes flew open for a moment and he kissed her firmly, holding her against him. She did not dare to move or make a sound, only listening to her pulse quicken inside her head. Her eyelids slowly closed as his mouth moved against hers. After a long moment, she reached forward, wanting to touch him, but he pulled abruptly back, breaking the kiss. Then he released his hold on her and backed away, giving her one last glance before sweeping from the room.

.o0o.

Jericho stormed into the South Tower, searching for Howzer. She found him in the armory with a few of the Seven Deadly Sins, testing out swords. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

He looked up from the handle in his hand. "I need to find a new sword. Mine was damaged in the fight, and I can't lift as well with my left hand while my right arm heals." He frowned. "Why do you care?"

"Because you're _leaving_ , " she snapped. She looked at Diane, King, and Merlin, who were standing and staring at her as well. "You're all leaving, and—" She stopped abruptly, feeling very foolish all of a sudden.

"I'm taking him to Camelot with me," Merlin explained. "I want to get a good look at his wound. It might help us find out who did all of this."

"I know that," Jericho mumbled, folding her arms.

Howzer put down the sword he held and lifted another. "So what's the problem, then?"

"It's just—when you leave, there will be no one to train the apprentices." Jericho huffed. "This is going to just delay my training even longer."

Diane and King exchanged a glance. "If that's all you're worried about, why don't you just come with us?" King asked.

Jericho looked at him skeptically. Another trip around Britannia with the Sins? That did not sound like a great idea. "I don't know about that."

"Sure! It'll be great!" Howzer said, and then turned to Merlin. "Can you take all four of us then?"

"Four?" King asked. "I thought only you were going with Merlin."

"Yeah, but Diane is coming with us too. Aren't you, Diane?"

Diane nodded happily as King started to fume. "First Liones, now Camelot! I'm getting to experience life in all the courts. I'm so excited!" She grinned at Jericho. "You should definitely come with us."

"I don't know how much training I could possibly get in while sitting around Camelot," she scoffed.

"Besides, there's no room!" King announced. "I'm coming to Camelot too."

"You are?" Diane said excitedly. Merlin frowned. "When did you decide that?"

"Just now." King folded his arms and floated back on Chastiefol. "We'll find someone to help you out, Jericho. Maybe Gowther or Ban will do it."

This was getting worse and worse. "I'll figure it out myself," she said, spinning on her heel and leaving them to their planning.

.o0o.

Elizabeth walked into the Boar Hat carrying a trunk in one hand and a large bundle in the other. "Sir Meliodas?" she called, kicking the front door shut behind her. The tavern had settled just inside the hole they had made in the city wall. Even though it was well past dinner, she did not want to leave getting her things down to the tavern to the morning, just in case they had to leave in a hurry like the last time.

"Elizabeth? Is that you?" Meliodas appeared from the storage room with a grin. "I didn't expect you to show up! What is all that?" He moved to relieve her of her burdens, and she gratefully handed her things over with a smile.

"Just some clothes and things. I want to be prepared this time." She followed him up the stairs towards the room they had always shared, and Elizabeth paused for a moment at the doorway. It looked just like she had left it all those weeks ago, and her heart leapt in excitement. She felt as though she was finally _home_.

Meliodas dropped the bundles on the bed, and sat on the window seat as she began to unpack. "Is your sister all right with you leaving, then?" he asked.

Elizabeth glanced over at him. He raised his eyebrows innocently, and she could only shake her head. "I know what you are asking, and no, I haven't spoken to her. But it's not really up to her anyway. Now that my father is awake and will be fine, I am making this decision myself." She carried a handful of handkerchiefs over to one of the dressers and opened a drawer, before frowning. "Where do you keep your handkerchiefs usually?"

"Huh," he replied. "I don't think I have any." He listened with a smile as she sighed and made room in one of her drawers. There was a companionable silence, and he watched her move around the room with ease, filling it again with her things. When she was finally done, he hopped up to carry her trunk to the closet and stuffed it inside.

"There," she said happily. She took a moment to straighten the bedspread the way he liked it, and then gave the room another glance. Her heart gave another flip in excitement as she remembered that she'd be back here again the next day. "I suppose I should be getting back. It's late."

Elizabeth looked over at Meliodas, who was propped up on his elbow against the dresser. "You don't have to, you know. You could stay here if you wanted."

"Stay—stay here?" she squeaked. The princess blushed, her cheeks becoming a rosy hue.

"Sure," he said, walking towards her. "Like you said, it's late, and I'd hate for you to have to get back to the castle by yourself. And it's nice and quiet here, since everyone else is staying in the castle."

Elizabeth clutched her hands, suddenly nervous. She had forgotten that the others—even Hawk—were not staying at the Boar Hat. But then she purposefully took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I suppose it would be all right, if you really wanted me to…" she breathed, suddenly feeling very, _very_ foolish.

"It would help me out a lot," Meliodas answered. "I haven't really been able to sleep since you left, you know."

"You haven't?" she gasped.

"Nope. And with us starting out tomorrow, I could really use a good night's sleep."

Elizabeth's eyes softened. "Well, of course I'll stay then."

Meliodas went back downstairs to finish up while Elizabeth got ready for bed. When he returned to the room, she was dressed in her bedclothes and waiting under the cover like she always did. He felt a swell of happiness at the sight, and quickly dressed for bed himself before jumping in with her.

Elizabeth laughed as he flipped around in the bed. She leaned over him to draw the blanket up, and he grinned and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her down against him. With another shriek of laughter from the princess he wrapped his own arms tightly around her. She laid her head back against the pillow as he laid his head on her chest, nuzzling his face against her neck. "This is much better without Hawk interfering," he mumbled against her skin.

The princess giggled again and shifted into a comfortable position. Her hand went tentatively on his shoulder, and Meliodas grabbed it and pulled her arm around him. He ran his hand back around her hip and gave her another squeeze. "Comfortable?" he asked.

He felt Elizabeth nod against him, and when she sighed, her breath tickled against his hair. He closed his eyes, trying to match his breath to hers.

The next thing he knew, it was the middle of the night. Elizabeth was fast asleep, still holding him against her. He smiled sleepily and gently pulled her arms from around him. She shifted slightly, and he pulled himself up the bed.

Meliodas leaned over her, watching her sleep for a long moment. There was a part of him that had wondered if they'd ever be back together like this again. Especially as he had seen the coin pulse with the blue light, and when he had jumped to catch her as she fell… He shook his head to push away those thoughts. She was here, alive and unharmed, and he would make sure she stayed that way. That's what mattered.

He leaned forward until his face was barely touching hers. "Elizabeth?" he whispered. "I'm so glad you are back."

"I am too," she muttered, half-asleep. His eyes widened in surprise as she moved towards him, pressing her face against his shoulder. Meliodas rolled to the side, pulling her with him, and they both slept soundly.

.o0o.

Out in the night, a figure watched the lights of the capital glowing. He was filled with rage at the loss of his brother, but kept the feeling tightly screwed in place. He was there for one purpose: chaos. They had gone by many names over the centuries upon centuries since they had been brought into existence: Panic, Fear, Discord, Entropy. The two brothers were halves of the same coin, bent on fulfilling their purpose. Nothing more, nothing less.

He and his brother had succeeded somewhat with their game with the king. Now, it was time to bring chaos to the rest of Britannia.

He narrowed his eyes as they swept over the castle. That princess was the reason he was alone now, left without his other half. Fulfilling his purpose would be harder now, but he was determined to see Britannia in ruins.

He smiled and turned, moving away from Liones with incredible speed. And if he got a bit of revenge on the ones that killed his brother at the same time? That would simply be justice.

.o0o.

 **A/N: _Thank you so much for reading!_** I am _so_ appreciative of everyone and really truly enjoyed writing this. If you hadn't already guessed, even though this is the end of _this_ story, there will be another coming shortly. I realized halfway through that there was more story to be told, too much actually, and it probably all would not fit into this one. I hope no one is terribly disappointed in the choice I made, and I do hope you continue with this to the next.

My apologies to Jenarla xXx… I hope you are all right with this ending, and pray that you will have faith that the next one will fulfill some goodness for us both. :)

I really want to say a huge **THANK YOU** to woundedowl, Cerulean Grace, and BettyBest2 for keeping me so well entertained during the writing of this story. And I also must thank DOMinMatrix, who encouraged me to post it in the first place.

Endings are so bittersweet, but I am excited to move onto the next story and I hope you will give the next one a chance at well. I really love this community here, and I am so lucky to be a part of it!


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